


To Drown Amidst Metal

by In_a_Mossy_Grove



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Aroace Lunafreya, Blood and Injury, Character Death, Gay Noctis Lucis Caelum, Guilt, In a way, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, MT Apocalypse, Sacrifice, Some people just like to see the world burn, Trans Gladiolus Amicitia, Trans Iris Amicitia, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26414182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_a_Mossy_Grove/pseuds/In_a_Mossy_Grove
Summary: The Magitek forces have flooded into Lucius, bringing with it chaos and destruction. The Crownsguard struggles to hold the line against the invasion, at a cost greater than they could have bargained for.
Relationships: Crowe Altius/Aranea Highwind, Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 16
Kudos: 33





	1. The Fallen City

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stabbyAoba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stabbyAoba/gifts), [writingwithmolls](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingwithmolls/gifts).



The world was falling down.

Ignis huddled over Iris' unconscious form, ash falling from the sky and creating a grey film over his tattered jacket. Fire roared around him, the sounds of battle deafening.

He was sequestered away between the remains of a concrete divider and a destroyed food truck. Gladiolus and Prompto were to his left, fighting off the horde of soldiers. There was a sea of scrap metal and bodies along the road, filling the air with the smell of burned flesh and spilled oil.

For every MT that fell to a bullet or a swing or Gladiolus' sword, two more took it's place. Every gun shot tensed Ignis' jaw a fraction more.

_Was this hell?_

The radio in his hand is caked with dirt and sweat as Ignis raises it to his lips. "This is Ignis Scientia! We're pinned down in the streets of Lestallum and need backup!" An explosion ripped through the air and he curled from the impact, trying to shield the girl from any harm. "Our coordinates are 11.18146.176.36709!"

"Ignis! Six o'clock!" Prompto's warning drew his attention and he twisted, flinging a dagger from his free hand. It sank between the plates of a Magitek soldiers helmet and returned to him. The creature sank backwards, falling into a pile of it's fellow soldiers. Gladiolus and Prompto vaulted over the barricade and landed beside him. Gladiolus pulled Iris's form to his side and summoned his shield, holding it over them. Bullets rained against it, sliding off the sides and _plink_ ing across the cobblestones.

"We can't stay here!" Ignis practically had to yell over the persistent sounds of fighting.

They were so close to getting out of the city. The tunnel was in sight behind them, just across a river of broken metal and carnage. It had been a death sentence coming back, the three of them had known that, but there was no convincing Gladiolus not to go after his sister. Even Noctis couldn't protest, despite staring at them all like he was memorizing every detail as they left. To protect the city he had to stay behind, maintaining a shield to keep the hordes of soldiers out with Lady Lunafreya.

The Empire had gotten to Lestallum first.

Fighting their way to Iris had been the easy part. By the time they had convinced her to leave behind her things and come with them, however, the streets had become a battlefield. The people of Lestallum were willing to protect their city, but their might was nothing compared to the sheer numbers that filled the streets. Buildings all around were exploding in fire and shrapnel, pieces of which that had knocked Iris unconscious and left Prompto with a long gash across his leg.

They could fill a second city with the amount of metal soldiers swarming about like insects.

"Iris is in no shape to go anywhere in this mess." Gladiolus growled, raising a second hand to support his shield. Blood dripped down his face, skirting his eyes. "We need a distraction or something!"

"Prompto, how is your aim?" Ignis dug in his pockets for a vial of flame, glancing up at the man in question.

"Fine." Prompto tied a strip of cloth around the hole in his leg and pushed his hair back, leaving a red streak in the blond strands. "What do you need?" His eyes were wild, darting between the three of them and the shield that held back their attackers. Between the dust, grime and blood however, was determination.

"On three, shove your shield up as hard as you can." Ignis rested his free hand on Gladiolus' back. "I'll throw this and when it's over the group, shoot it." He stared at both of his companions. "Understood?" They nodded, resolute.

_"One."_

Gladiolus gritted his teeth, bracing both hands against the metal.

_"Two."_

Prompto rose up on his good leg, summoning his pistol.

" _Three!"_

The shield was hefted out of the way, knocking back a wave of MT's as Ignis threw the vial. It soared over the sea of enemies and Prompto, gun clutched in both hands and one eye squinted closed, pulled the trigger. Gladiolus pulled them back under his shield before they could witness the carnage, but by the way their entire shelter shook it had the desired effect.

The silence that followed was just as chilling.

Gladiolus lowered his shield and the three of them stood to assess the damage. Scorched earth would have been a kind description for the scene. Worse was, despite the severity of their attack, that they could hear the impending march of more soldiers approaching.

It was like a plague.

"Call again." Gladiolus grabbed the radio and threw it into his hands.

Ignis cleared his throat and raised the mouthpiece. "This is Ignis Scientia. The city of Lestallum has been hit by the Empire. We're stranded. I have Crownsguard soldiers Gladiolus Amicitia and Prompto Argentum with me, as well as a civilian.Our coordinates are 11.18146.176.36709, please respond."

They waited, the settling of rubble and metal the only sound beyond the receivers static.

"Dammit." Prompto kicked at a rock.

"We need to leave." Ignis forced his tone to remain even, summoning his daggers. He tilted his head, trying to gauge where the army was coming from. The air felt charged with electricity and magic.

From the distance there was the sudden sound of something _falling_.

It sounded like a hundred pillars collapsing, one after the other, crumbling into the Meteor. One moment, Ignis was watching a column of smoke rise into the sky, the next someone was screaming his name and he was thrown backward.

A shock wave wracked across him, followed by a blast of heat that he barely avoided by curling around himself. The barricade took the brunt of the force, and as it cleared Ignis let himself uncurl.

The first thing he saw as the dust cleared was blood.

The stones by his hands were red, a long stretch of the color painted away from him. For a moment, Ignis panics searching for the wound on his form that could possibly have bled that much. It's only when his eyes follow it further, the sound filtering back to him in the aftermath, does he see the source.

Prompto was on his side, blood pooling beneath him. His sides are heaving for air, his eyes squeezed shut and Ignis finds himself moving, dragging himself to the boys side. Gladiolus appears at his side, grabbing Prompto's other arm as they drag him to relative safety.

Prompto cried out in pain, trying to wrench his arm free. The wound on his side was brutal, Ignis' already woozy head spinning as the sight of exposed bone. Every gasp for breath tore the skin more.

"Stop!" He snapped through gritted teeth, tears of pain streaking away the dirt on his cheeks. "Stop..." They pulled him back against the wall, his head falling back against the concrete. Ignis ripped off his jacket and pressed it to the wound, wincing as the man cried in pain again.

"The power plant." Gladiolus struggled to breath, holding Iris against his side. "They blew up the power plant."

The inner ring of Lestallum had been destroyed in the blast. Nothing remained except bloodied rubble and twisted metal. Even the sounds of fighting had quieted. There was no telling how many citizens were left.

Prompto grabbed Ignis' wrist, the contact sticky with blood. "You guys need to get out of here."

"You guys?" Gladiolus' attention snapped back to him, hazel eyes blazing. "What are you-"

"Gladio, please!" Prompto's voice rose, taking on an edge of desperation. "I can't... I won't make it out of here like this. You guys still have a change, take Iris and go! Now!"

"Like hell!" Shaking his head, Gladiolus shifted towards Iris. "Ignis, you can take Iris and I'll-"

"You can't." The tears were coming harder now, half pain and half sorrow. It was the same look Noctis had given them before they left: the photographer committing something beautiful to memory one last time. "Please. Just go. Noctis needs you." Prompto pushed himself up, gripping the back of the barricade to steady himself. "This is our job, as Crownsguard. If we all die here then what will happen to him? He needs his Sword and Shield, he needs _you_."

"Don't do this." Gladiolus spoke quietly, gathering his sister into his arms. "You're going to die here."

Prompto bared his teeth in a grin, blood dripping from his lips. "Not without a fight." Grimacing, he summoned his camera from the aether, looping the strap around Ignis' neck. "Take this to Noct, will you? Tell him I'm sorry."

The camera feels like a dead weight in Ignis' hands, the chisel he's going to have to use to break the prince's heart into a thousand pieces. "We will."

"Don't give me that look." Prompto summoned his gun and sets his jaw in a hard line. His bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. "Protect Noctis, you hear?" Gladiolus shifted Iris to one side and grabbed Prompto's shoulder with the other hand, pressing their foreheads together. Ignis could see his resolve waver just a bit from the motion.

The sound of marching footsteps got louder and Gladiolus released him.

"Get out of here." Prompto raised his gun and turned, refusing to be the one to watch them leave. "I'll hold them off."

They ran, no, _fled._

Every step away from Lestallum felt like a betrayal, the ring of gunshots just as piercing as the reality. Ignis stuck to Gladiolus' side, his knuckles white as he clutched his daggers. Outside of the city was just as bad, broken down cars and crushed bodies littering the road. It was as if the army had passed over it like a wave, stampeding car and person alike.

It made him feel sick.

They ran until they found a rest stop that seemed deserted by human and MT alike. Gladiolus shouldered open the door to the Crows Nest, Ignis one step behind. He carefully set Iris down on one of the booths and turned, barely breaking his stride to move to the door again.

Ignis blocked his way. "Gladiolus, don't."

"I'm going back for him." The man moved to shoulder past him, but Ignis released his knives and planted both hands on his chest.

"No, you can't-"

"We can't just leave him!" His voice rose, nearly yelling. "Ignis, we need to do _something_!"

"Prompto gave us a _chance!"_ Ignis grabbed Gladiolus' face, forcing the man to stop and look at him. "I despise this as well, but we can't make his actions useless!"

"His sacrifice, you mean." Gladiolus sat heavily at one of the bar stools, the angry draining from him. "What kind of Shield am I?"

"One who had to make a difficult choice." Ignis took his glasses off and squeezed his eyes shut. The word sacrifice, apt as it was, ate at him.

"If I hadn't-"

"You must not blame yourself." Ignis replaced his glasses and stepped forward to rest his hands on the man's shoulders. "We couldn't leave Iris in Lestallum and maintain a clear conscious. Prompto knew the risks in going. We all did. This is no fault of your own."

Gladiolus' voice was defeated, his shoulders sagging with the weight of guilt. He scrubbed a hand over his face. "It shouldn't have come to this."

"We... have to get back to Insomnia."

After a moment, Gladiolus pulled him in, pressing his forehead to the man's chest. "This is going to break Noct." Ignis sighs carding his fingers through the shields hair. He doesn't have a response, and finds that his mind refuses to process such a scenario. Instead he settles for running his hands through Gladiolus' greasy hair, for once, ignoring the grime. He tried that last image of Prompto in his mind: The grim smile and the way his hair spiked off his forehead.

The alternative was pushed from his mind. He needed to be logical, to keep his head on straight. Noctis needed him. Gladiolus needed him. Iris needed him.

He owned that much to Prompto.


	2. The Wanderers

Gladiolus barely remembered how this all started.

It felt like it happened in the blink of an eye, one day they were on their way to marry Noctis off to Lady Lunafreya, and the next they were barricading themselves behind the wall against swarms of MT soldiers. They had doubled back in the hopes that they could come to the rescue. Just like in Lestallum they had been moments too late. The Kingsglaive had fallen to get Lunafreya to relative safety and Clarus, the King's Shield, lay broken by his liege. King Regis used the last of his strength to cast the Magitek army out of the city, leaving the kingdom in the hands of his son and the Oracle.

The combined strength of Noctis and Lunafreya, channeled through the crystal, now kept the surviving citizens of Insomnia safe against the horde.

Prompto, suffering in the tense silence, had joked that it felt like something from a zombie apocalypse game.

Gladiolus felt like that was a fitting comparison as he leaned back against the wall. He and Ignis had found a staff room in the back of the diner and moved Iris to the couch there. The setting sun had stopped them from getting any closer to Insomnia for the time being. The Daemons hadn't taken a break during this invasion, making nights even more of a perilous time.

While he waited for both the sun to rise and his sister to awaken, Gladiolus tried to piece together what he was going to tell her. She looked peaceful where she lay, her eyes closed and her arms resting on her stomach. He had taken off his jacket, and draped it over her to provide some semblance of warmth. His heart twisted in his chest. The last thing he wanted was for Iris to think that it was her fault Prompto had stayed behind.

He had to keep convincing himself that it was none of their faults.

Ignis toed the door open, arms full of what little food he managed to salvage from the kitchen. Between tending Iris' wounds and procuring food, he had taken the time to scrub the dirt and blood from his face and arms.

"Here." Ignis set the food down and sat beside him, passing over a damp cloth. "You need to clean some of those wounds before they get infected."

"Thanks." Gladiolus dragged it across his arms, the blood smearing against his skin. For the most part all he accomplished was spreading a mix of dirt and dried blood around. Ignis watched, unimpressed, for a moment before beginning to organize the food. Glancing at him from the corner of his eye, Gladiolus noticed that there were dark bruises beneath his blue eyes.

"Did you sleep?" He frowned at the man. He had been keeping watch out front for the last few hours until Ignis had asked him to watch Iris, so he had no idea whether or not the man had rested.

"No." Ignis dropped a bag of trail-mix on his lap. "You should eat."

"Ignis, you need to-"

The sound of a groan and fabric shifting distracted him halfway through his sentence. Iris had opened her eyes, raising a weak hand to her face. Gladiolus got to his feet and hurried to her side.

"Hey, kid." He took her hand, watching with some trepidation as her eyes slowly focused on him. "Welcome back to the real world."

"What happened?" Iris' voice was rough, as if her throat was coated in ash. "Where...?"

"Take a moment, Iris." Ignis appeared at his side with a bottle of water. "Sit up, slowly." With her brothers help, she managed to shuffle into a sitting position. From the expression on her face, the blow to her head still left an ache that had not yet eased. She took careful sips, her eyes scanning the room they were in.

Clearing her throat, she spoke again, clearer this time. "Where are we?"

"The outskirts of Lestallum, hiding out in a Crows Nest." Gladiolus sat on the couch beside her, a hand on her knee. "How's the head."

She winces. "It hurts a lot. The rest of me feels... alright." She moved her arms and legs as if testing them, her mouth twisted into a frown.

"It's likely you have a concussion." Ignis adjusts his glasses, and in the light of the room Gladiolus can see that one of the lenses is cracked. "I couldn't find any medicine unfortunately but I'm confident we can get back to Insomnia with haste."

Her frown deepened. "My head hurts too much to understand half of what you said." Then she looked around, this time a hint of distress filling her eyes. "Where's... Prompto?"

There was a long moment of silence after her question. Ignis stared into the middle distance, his features tense. The camera hung like a dead weight around his neck.

"He was badly injured and..." Gladiolus took his sisters hand. "Prompto stayed behind to give us a chance to get out."

Her eyes widened. "No, that's... That's impossible, he can't be _gone_. There had to be something..." Iris pressed a hand to her mouth, tears flooding over her lashes. Gladiolus pulled her to his side, running a hand along her hair like Ignis had the night before. Everything he thought of that might sooth her soured in his mouth. He couldn't justify what had happened, least of all to his sister. That would imply that he wasn't wracked by immense guilt with every beat of his heart.

They let Iris mourn, making her eat once she had calmed down. She ate silently, chewing as if the food had no taste. Her eyes, red and puffy, refused to settle on either man for long. Despite her aversion to him, Gladiolus stayed on the couch beside her. Ignis had excused himself earlier, pacing around the different rooms and shoving supplies into a backpack he'd taken from one of the staff lockers.

Iris swallowed heavily, setting the wrapper of the granola bar aside. Slowly, as if drifting in a dream, she leaned over and rested her head on Gladiolus' arm. "What do we do now?"

With a long sigh, Gladiolus rested his cheek on her head. "We have to get back to Insomnia. Noctis needs all the help he can get."

A strangled whimper left her throat. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to come get me."

"You could have been in the middle of empire territory and I would have found a way to come get you." He insisted. "Nothing would have stopped me, you know that."

"I know." Her voices trembled with tears she refused to shed. "I'm still sorry."

"Me too."

The door opened and Ignis stepped inside, clearing his throat. "We should try to cover some ground before night falls again."

Glancing down at his sister, Gladiolus raised an eyebrow. "You up for it?"

Iris rubbed her eyes and stood. "I'm ready." She shoved her hands in the pockets of her brother's jacket. It swamped her form, the arms stained with ash and dust. Gladiolus wrapped an arm around her shoulders, steadying her shaking steps as the three of them filtered from the room.

The sky was slate grey when they left the Crows Nest. The only indication of the sun was a single bright spot in the mass of colourless clouds, ash drifting down like rain. The streets were empty of life, the crashed and destroyed cars blanketed in a sheet of brown dust. In the far distance they could see the dark silhouettes of the oppressive Imperial ships moving through the sky.

Iris pulled the front of her shirt up to cover her mouth and nose, face turned skywards. "Is this from Lestallum?"

"I believe so." Ignis spoke with no emotion in his words, as cold and empty as the streets around them. "Likely from the remnants of the power plant."

Gladiolus pulled Iris' hood up over her short hair. "Come on. Let's get off the road and keep moving. We shouldn't stay under this ash, who knows what's in it?" Iris nodded stiffly and let him guide her towards the trees. They moved as quickly as they dared, glancing between the sky and the open road. None of them spoke, the silence so dense and heavy that breaking it seems like a monumental task.

Though injured, Iris powered through without so much as a wince. Her eyes were glazed over, her thoughts a million miles away. Ignis was similarly distant. His feet were moving and his eyes were scanning their surroundings, but Gladiolus could tell he was lost in thoughts by the way his hands plucked at the strap of the camera around his neck.

They walked for hours in silence, occasionally needing to stop and hide behind rocks while platoons of MTs marched past.

By the time the sun had started to set they had covered a lot of ground. There was a destroyed gas station a few yards ahead of them, illuminated by a single flickering streetlight.

Iris wrung her hands, exhaustion visable on her face. "I guess trying to find a working car would draw a lot of attention, huh?"

Ignis adjusted his cracked glasses, frowning. "It might not be a terrible idea, actually. It may draw attention but if we're careful..." He took a few cautious steps towards the road, conjuring a dagger. Gladiolus and Iris followed closely, as though clumping together might hide them from anyone watching.

There was a brown truck off to the side of the road, looking like it had been there for about a week. The paint was peeling off in long strips and the wheels had gone slightly flat, but the rest of it seemed to be in working order.

Ignis forced the driver side door open. "Keep an eye out." He wormed his way beneath the steering wheel, wrenching open a panel with the blade. Gladiolus kept his head on a swivel, taking in the land around them. In the distance he could see the Disk of Cauthess, smoke rising from the canyon that surrounded it. The ash had lessened as they got further from Lestallum, the cold wind carrying it westward towards the mountains.

There were a few muffled curses and then suddenly the truck roared to life, nearly scaring Iris out of her skin. Ignis reappeared, wiping dust from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"You know how to hot-wire a car?" Iris practically had stars in her eyes.

"It was a talent I picked up in case the Regalia ever encountered issues." There was a satisfied look on the mans face, as if the reminder of his skills had dulled some of the pain he was feeling.

Gladiolus grabbed his arms and pulled him in. "Ignis, you beautiful bastard." He kissed him, ignoring the taste of ash and sweat. Ignis was too stunned to response, even as Gladiolus released him.

"Uhm." Iris glanced between the two of them. "Not to interrupt but maybe we should get going?"

"Yes." Ignis cleared his throat. "We should get going." He slid into the driver's seat, and Gladiolus could have sworn he was blushing. Iris climbed into the back, leaning forward so she was braced between the two front seats, between her brother and his partner. The car lurched forward as Ignis pressed on the gas, leaving the girl to cling to the worn leather.

"Apologies." Ignis mumbled, wrenching the steering wheel to the side to steer them onto the road. "This drives like a behemoth..." The engine sputtered in protest as he wove between other broken down cars onto the main highway, the body shaking as they picked up speed.

"Hey, Gladdy." Iris swatted her brother's shoulder and spoke in a stage whisper. "You never told me you were dating Ignis."

"Didn't I?" He looked at her in the rearview mirror. "I've been a little busy."

Her face scrunched into that sly little sister grin she was known for. "I'm sure you were." Gladiolus smacked her knee with no real force behind it and she slid back into her seat, laughing to herself. The sound died off in her throat, leaving the car in a silence that sharpened the absence in the car.

Even when things were at their worst Prompto had always filled the silence. It was as if the quiet was an enemy that he needed to bury no matter what. Whether it was through jokes, asking about Gladio's trashy romance novels or letting loose a rambling stream of commentary on the world outside the car windows, there was always something filling the space.

Now there was nothing except the roar of the engine as they pushed on towards Hammerhead.


	3. The Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for burned bodies

Hammerhead was burning.

They could smell burning rubber and smoke as they drew near, the darkness obscuring their view. The truck was barely holding together from weaving around daemons, MTs, and broken down cars, the wheels nearly rattling out of their sockets. Ignis pulled around the corner and slammed on the breaks when the garage came into view, almost sending Gladiolus through the windshield.

MTs swarmed over the burning wreckage of what used to be the Hammerhead Garage, the lights from a few mangled streetlights glinting off the harsh metal. Axemen were tearing the buildings apart, weapons slashing so indiscriminately that they were taking chunks out of their fellow units. Gas tanks were being hauled off towards a ship in the distance, rows of robotic soldiers moving like ants to their nest.

There were no other signs of life.

"Oh no." Iris covered her mouth. "Isn't this where-"

"Iris, stay in the car." Gladiolus kicked his door open with so much force that it almost came back and hit him again. He stepped out onto the road and summoned his sword from the aether, golden eyes focused on the scene before them.

"Gladio." Ignis said, voice dropping in warning. He stepped from the car and pulled the camera from around his neck, passing it back to Iris. The girl hunkered down behind the seats, disappearing from view.

"I'm not letting them get away with this."

"I wasn't saying you should." Ignis summoned his daggers with one quick flick of his wrists. "I was going to say that you should wait for me to join you." There was a glint of something harsh in the man's eyes, lightning coursing along the blades. Gladious turned and charged, hefting his sword onto one shoulder. He could feel Ignis at his side, blistering with power.

Every MT in the area turned to look at them a hundred red eyes locking into place. The barrels of guns lifted just as Gladio's feet passed onto the garage parking lot. He twisted his body, using the momentum to carry his sword out in an swing that cut a blazing path through several soldiers. Ignis flashed past him, too quick to see fully as he arced from one enemy to the next.

The soldiers gave them little resistance, their bodies crumbling into heaps on the ground.

Gladiolus dedicated every soldier he took down to the ghosts that followed him.

_To Regis._

_To the fallen Glaives._

_To his father._

_To Prompto._

Standing among fallen bodies and burning rubble, Gladiolus remembered how to breathe. The storm that had whirled in his chest dissipated, carried away with the smoke that curled up towards the starless sky.

"Gladiolus?" Ignis put a hand on the man's arm, pulling him back to the present. "Feeling better?"

He rolled his shoulder. "Yeah. I am. Let's get Iris inside and see what we can learn about Cid and Cindy." They returned to the car, falling into step beside each other. Ignis tried to restart the truck with little success, only achieving a terrible sputtering and spitting sound from the engine. Iris, who's eyes were red and puffy from fresh tears, was delegated to the front seat as Gladiolus and Ignis pushed the car towards the garage.

They got the car inside without incident, although the distant screeching of daemons spurred them on faster.

Iris slid out of the car, her knuckles white on the camera that she still gripped as if it was the only thing tethering her to reality. "Are we safe here?"

"We should be." Ignis pulled out the bag of food and looked around the garage. The lights still worked, illuminating them in a low yellow glow. Tools and parts were scattered about the room as if left there in a hurry.

"Iris, would you help me prepare some food?" Ignis put a hand on the girls shoulder and turned her towards the far corner. Pushing her gently towards the couch and messy coffee table, he cast a pointed look over his shoulder at Gladiolus.

He took the hint. "I'll scout around." Gladiolus set out for the back, summoning his sword just in case. Outside, the night had grown quieter than it had been when they'd first arrived. Over the far hills he could hear the MT's engaging one of the larger daemons and fires still burned around the parking lot, but there seemed to be no immediate danger.

Gladiolus did a slow patrol around the garage, circling towards the rest stop, the Crows Nest and then the caravan. He remembered the first few nights they had spent there with a vivid clarity. Prompto had practically thrown himself at Ignis upon finding there was a stove in the rickety place, the two of them vanishing inside to find ingredients. Noctis had challenged him to a duel in Kings Knight, their excitement drawing Cindy, who promptly kicked their asses. The rest of the night was spent with her regaling them with stories of her work and her long distance girlfriend from Lestallum.

Now the caravan was cold and empty, the chairs scattered and broken and the lights inside all shattered. Gladiolus sighed, forcing himself to breath fully again.

Which is when he smelled the faint but undeniable scent of burnt flesh. He tightened his grip on his sword as he rounded the corner of the caravan, blood roaring in his ears.

What he saw nearly emptied his stomach of it's meager contents. Three bodies were lain out on the rough dirt, burned nearly beyond recognition.

Nearly.

Cid.

Cindy.

Dave.

The three of them blistered, charred and cast aside like a hidden message. The searing hatred for what had happened to them cut through Gladiolus' chest, It boiled over and he screamed, whirling to kick a stone that crashed against the chain link fence beyond. Slamming his sword into the ground, he dug his fingers into his scalp as if he might wrench the pain from his mind. _How did it come to be like this? Had the Astral's truly abandoned them so drastically that this much innocent slaughter went unpunished?_

Gladiolus had never considered himself devout, but each friend he lost was another step away from the light the rest of the world clung too.

"Gladio?" Ignis rounded the corner, out of breath. "I heard yelling and-" His voice broke off like shattered glass, taking in the scene. Gladiolus could barely bring himself to look up, to lower his hands and face his partner in the darkness. With careful steps, Ignis knelt beside him and rested a hand on his knee.

"I..." He cleared his throat, "had a feeling they had not made it." There's a twinge in his words like something sour was sitting on his tongue. There was nothing either of them could say beyond that.

After an insufferable silence, Gladiolus spoke again. "I'm going to bury them tomorrow. They deserve that much at least."

"...Yes." Ignis closed his eyes, standing stiffly. "I found something in the garage that we should probably discuss."

The rage and pain had left Gladiolus numb. "Sure. What is it?"

"A few scattered journal entries, by Dave, judging from the detailed information." The advisor in Ignis took over, words flowing as if he were giving a report on Citadel politic to an impatient prince. "Apparently the Magitek troopers have been doing two things with those they kill. They burn the heavily injured ones," his eyes darted away from the scene, "and they take the rest."

"Take?" Gladiolus stood, forcing himself to turn away from the corpses. "Taken for what?"

"Dave speculated for cloning purposes."

"Cloning?" Gladiolus clenched his fists. "Now is not the time for _jokes,_ Iggy."

The same frustration rose in Ignis, but he shoved it down to keep his tone even. "I'm not speaking in jest. The journal says that upon removing the masks of the soldiers they all look remarkably similar. There are a few differences beneath the demonic corruption, but not so many that cloning is out of the question. Cid left notes of ideas along the same veins."

"So that's how their numbers keep growing." The nausea that flooded him is almost enough to send him over the edge again. "By taking our people and turning them into these... things?"

"It's highly likely."

The implications hit Gladiolus like a speeding train. "That also means-"

"Prompto was not taken." Ignis finished the sentence for him, digging his nails into his palms. "Not with how he was when we... left him."

_Burned. He was burned._

The screaming of daemons grew closer, pushing the two of them back towards the main garage. Silence filled the space between them, brimming with unasked questions. Iris was curled up on the couch when they entered, already fast asleep. Gladiolus' jacket covered her entire form like a shield against the world. The empty box of crackers beside her told him that she had eaten, so he let her rest. Her day had been a long one.

"I'll keep watch." Gladiolus grabbed the first box of crackers he saw and sat with his back to the table. "You should sleep."

"Gladio, you need your rest as well." Ignis settled in beside him.

"Won't be able to sleep, Iggy." He shoved a handful of crackers into his mouth, eyes fixed on the garage doors. With a low sigh, Ignis adjusted so he could lay with his head on Gladiolus' leg. It had to be uncomfortable, curled on the hard ground with his head at an odd angle, but Ignis showed no signs of moving. Gladiolus knew it was more for his comfort than his partners, one of the quiet ways that Ignis reminded him that he was there.

The silence fell back around them, giving Gladiolus time to think. They hadn't know the denizens of Hammerhead garage for long, but the image of burned bodies still clung to him. Now he would never know them beyond the first few days of a road trip that seemed like a distant dream.

Reconciling with Prompto's loss still hung just out of reach. He still expected a fourth person to be there with them, for those darting violet eyes and vibrant voice to be just over his shoulder. Part of him still believed that Prompto would return to them, maybe riding a white chocobo and brimming with tales of a daring escape. Gladiolus didn't want to imagine his friend burned and cast aside in the streets of Lestallum, buried in white ash.

Gladiolus tilted his head back against the table and felt something hard just behind him. Careful not to wake Ignis, he wormed an arm up over his head to grab the offending object.

It was the camera.

Against his better judgement, Gladiolus turned it on. There was a serious crack across the lens, casting dark shadows across the image on the small screen. Taking a deep breath, he opened the gallery.

The photos were bright. It started towards the middle of their initial journey with Galdin Quay, all of them brimming with light and laughter. Noctis sitting on the edge of the pier with a bucket hat perched on his dark hair. Gladiolus stealing his ridiculous hat and throwing it into the ocean. Ignis and Gladiolus reclining under a tree with books in their hands, unaware of the photographer capturing them. A selfie of Prompto with a seagull in the background, half of his face filling the frame. Ignis driving the Regalia, glancing at the camera with a slight smile. Noctis passed out in the backseat, his head back and mouth hanging open while Gladiolus was caught going in to poke his stomach.The four of them posed in front of the Disk of Cauthess, all smiling without a care in the world. The sun and the sand seemed so bright that Gladiolus could almost feel the heat from them. Gladiolus had to put it down, pressure rising in his throat and threatening to burst his lungs.

He hadn't expected the photos to feel so _alive_.

Turning the camera off, Gladiolus cradled it in his hands. How could he return this to Noctis accompanied with news of Prompto's death? It would be like rubbing salt in the wounds, passing him a handful of happy, glowing memories in the wake of darkness. He might as well stab Noctis himself.

Maybe there was a way Gladiolus could convince Ignis that it had slipped his mind. It had been Prompto's dying wish for him to have the photos, maybe to be a reminder of better times, but instead it felt like a death sentence. He could leave it here in the rubble and they could pretend it had never been handed to them. The news alone would break him, but the camera might shatter him beyond repair.

Wasn't he, as the Kings Shield, bound to protect him from harm?


	4. The Return

"How are we going to get across the bridge?"

Ignis frowned at Iris' question. When they first left the city it had been a simple task to get across the long bridge connecting Insomnia to the rest of the region. That was six days ago, and they'd had an armored truck from the Kingsglaive armory to break their way through. Now, as they peered down at the winding strip of asphalt, they saw the unwavering red eyes of MTs swarming along the dead cars. For the moment there were no dreadnoughts lingering like dark clouds in the sky, but Ignis wasn't going to count them out of the equation.

"What if we take three of them out and steal their armor?" Iris tapped her fingers along her chin. She had pulled Gladiolus' jacket up over her head in an attempt to stave off the sunlight and save her an additional headache from the concussion she still had. "Then we can disguise ourselves and sneak by?"

"Wouldn't be a bad plan," Gladiolus grunted. "I don't think that's how MT's work though, kid."

Iris frowned and pulled the jacket tighter around her head. "That's my only idea."

"We may simply have to fight our way through." Ignis reached into the Armiger and pulled forth his daggers. "If we're fast and we use the cars as cover we may be able to get across quickly."

"Not sure about careful..." Gladiolus summoned his sword, words grumbled beneath his breath. Then he looked at his sister, who was watching him expectantly from beneath the shadow of his coat. "If I give you a knife you need to promise you won't accidentally stab yourself with it."

She nodded, and then winced when it made the pain in her head pulse. "I won't stab myself. On purpose."

Ignis looked at him over the top of her head, his expression neutral. There was a hesitance in Gladiolus' movements as he pulled a small hunting knife from the aether and pressed it carefully into Iris' hands.

Ignis made a mental note to keep Iris in view at all times. "Come on. We're wasting daylight." The three of them slipped from behind the rocks and down towards the road, ducking from car to car as they moved. With the sun at their backs, Ignis made the first move, sliding across the hood of an old car to bury a blade in the neck of the nearest MT. Gladiolus blurred past him and cleaved the second one in half, greatsword hitting a fallen hubcap with an echoing ring. Ignis shoved him to the ground, back pressed against the nearest car as they waited for the sound to fade. Seconds felt like minutes as he crouched there, his knee on Gladiolus' thigh and one hand on his chest, eyes closed to listen for approaching footsteps.

Nothing.

Ignis released a slow breath through his nose. "Quietly," he whispered.

"Yeah, I get it." Gladiolus rested a hand on Ignis' leg, dangerously high. If the situation were different, the man would have been tempted. Instead he shifted away and motioned for Iris to move forward, ignoring the stare he can feel Gladiolus burning into him.

As they make their way across the bridge in agonizingly slow steps, Ignis almost wishes he could warp like Noctis does. He knows full well the strain it put on ones body, but it would make skipping between groups of MTs so much easier. By the time they make it to the front gates, Iris has even managed to take down one of her own. Once they were through the gates Gladiolus all but shoved them into the nearest storefront where they could take a moment to breathe.

Now they just need to get through the _rest_ of the city.

Ignis paused to wipe the oil and blood from his daggers, sliding the blades against his already ruined slacks. _They're almost back to the Citadel,_ he tells himself. _Just a bit further..._ He felt a hand on his back, sliding up to rest on the back of his neck.

"Doin okay?" Gladiolus pulled him close and Ignis allowed himself the momentary reprieve of resting his forehead against the man's shoulder.

"I'm doing fine." He said. It's a lie, and a terrible one at that. He can hear the quiver in his own voice and is ashamed at how far his composure has slipped in the moment. What was he supposed to say? That every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire and there were blisters on his hands from gripping his daggers so tightly? That with every step towards home he came closer to dropping more weight on the shoulders of an already broken man?

Gladiolus doesn't push him, instead he just smooths a hand over Ignis' hair and stares out the store window. "Okay." The streets beyond were empty of MTs for the moment.

Iris emerged from the back of the store with a few water bottles clutched in her arms. "Here, I found these in a locker back there." She passed them each one and opened one for herself, draining it in slow sips. In the sheltered light of the store she looked even more withdrawn and tired. Gladiolus drained the entire thing in two gulps and then let the empty bottle fall to the floor where it bounced and rolled out of view under a rack of novelty shirts. Ignis wanted to lecture him on littering in a public area but... What was the point? The store was in ruins anyway.

"We should continue moving." He forced himself to look away from where the bottle had gone and back out into the streets. "We are not safe yet, not until we make it to the second barricade, should it still stand."

"The second barricade?" Iris asked, gripping the hunting knife tightly with her free hand.

"There's a wall around the streets closest to the Citadel." Gladiolus explained. "That's where the survivors are, hiding out in the apartments and shelters on the Citadel grounds." It wasn't the nicest setup, but Insomnia was too large for them to hold with the couple dozen Kingsglaive they had left.

"So many people in the Citadel, Noctis must hate it." Iris forces some levity into her voice.

To his own surprise, Ignis laughed. "He'd never admit it, but yes."

"Come on, you two." Gladiolus pulled on Ignis' wrist, eyes rolling. "I'd like to make it back to the Citadel before the sun goes down, yeah?"

"Yeah." Iris nodded, resolute. The streets were eerily quiet as the three of them made their way towards the second barricade. Nothing moved between the houses and cars, not even mice or rats. The silence was oppressive, pushing down on them like a dark sea.

Then they started to hear the sounds of fighting. The sounds of magic being thrown and guns being fired. The push and pull of aether. A King's magic.

Ignis felt his breath leave him. "Noctis." Gladiolus was right on his heels when he broke into a run. An unbecoming wave of panic rolls over him at the sound, spurring him on. It didn't matter if Noct was surrounded by an army of Kingsglaive, he refused to loose another friend.

The second barricade came into view and it was under siege by a a veritable army.

MT were clambering over each other to try and scale the patchwork walls, using the piled up fallen as a way to reach higher. Along the top were rows of glaives in black uniforms, raining death upon the horde with spells they wrenched into existence. Even from this distance, Ignis could see a familiar form warping in blue bursts along the top of the wall.

Ignis only had a moment to pray that the Astrals looked after him before he and Gladiolus crashed into the tail end of the force. Metal and fire surrounded them, the crunch of blades through armor becoming a dull roar in his ears. Sweat and blood dripped down his face, skirting his eyes as Ignis seared a path towards the gate.

"Your Highness! It's Sir Gladiolus and Sir Ignis!"

"I see-" There's a shimmer flash of blue before the MT beside Ignis is obliterated and Noctis stands in it's place. HIs eyes are wild, unkept hair plastered back from his face by a mix of sweat and grease. "Them!"

"What are you thinking?!" Ignis seized the Prince by the back of the jacket and deflecting a blade away. "You cannot just warp into the center of the enemy!"

"Sorry!" Noctis growled, pulling a war blade from the armiger and clearing a wide arc.

"Like hell!" Gladiolus appeared at their sides, Iris perched on his shoulders like a cat. He offers his sister a hand and she swings down with practiced ease. "Take Iris and get back on the _fucking wall!"_ Noctis visibly bites back a snarl and loops an arm around Iris' waist, flinging his sword back towards the wall and disappearing after it in another stripe of blue.

"You're next." Gladiolus whirled to block a blow from an Axe-man, back to back with Ignis.

"Excuse me?" Ignis traded his daggers for his lance, teeth grinding together painfully.

"The wall, I'll throw you!" They've pushed back far enough that it would be a laughably easy task to throw him up to the wall. It's just a few feet away, the sustained assault by the Kingsglaive giving them plenty of cover.

"And you?!"

"I can climb a damn wall!"

Ignis spun and dug his fingers into Gladiolus' arm. "If you are not behind me when I turn around I swear to the six-"

"I'll be fine!" Gladiolus slams the sword into the ground just in front of Ignis' feet. "Go." Ignis stepped onto the blade and felt the air rush past him as he's flung upwards. Twisting mid air, Ignis found a set of arms reaching to help him up and accepted the hand.

Libertus offered him a tired, sideways grin. "Welcome back, sir!"

"Thank you." Ignis let a heavy sigh pass through his lips before he turned to help Gladiolus. Cor and Nyx were already hauling him over the edge of the wall.

Once the Shield had both feet firmly on the wall, Cor whirled to the assembled glaives, voice carrying in the wind. "Fira! Now!" The mages on the wall raise their hands in unison, cinders gathering around their fingertips as magic began to coalesce. The fire seemed to suck the air from the immediate vicinity as it coasts out from the wall like a wave, crashing over the remaining MTs that still struggled to climb the walls.

As the magic retreated, sweeping away the sounds of fighting and destruction, Ignis forced himself to breathe. _They had made it._ In through his nose, out through his mouth. _They were safe_. He pressed a hand to his chest to feel the movement, to ground in him reality.

_You need to tell Noctis about Prompto._

The pulse beneath his palm spikes and Ignis raises his head, looking down the wall. Gladiolus is beside him, clutching Cor's arm and demanding updates. A few of the mages have fallen to their knees, exhausted by the outpouring of magic energy. He can see Noctis' dark hair bobbing towards them between the tired glaives, Iris at his side like a lost shadow.

The princes crashed into him, arms coiling around Ignis' middle like a vice. "I was so fucking worried about you guys."

Ignis wove his fingers into Noctis' hair, staring up at the grey sky as if it might save him from the words he has to say next. "Noctis..."

"You're not allowed to leave again." Ignoring the tone in Ignis' voice, the prince pulled away to glare at Gladiolus, who refused to meet his gaze. Noctis turned again, to their other side in search of the missing presence . "Where's..." His eyes scan the wall and then back over the three of them, at first suspicious like something was going to leap out at him, and then desperate.

Any words he might have said died on Ignis' tongue. If there had been any sort of speech or explanation that he had prepared for this moment, it flitted from his mind like birds fleeing from the sound of a gunshot. Instead he reached out for the tangibility of his guilt, pulling the camera from Armiger and setting it heavily in the princes hands.

It took a few seconds for the implications to hit him. Noctis's breath caught in his throat as he drew the camera close and turned it in his hands, his thumb running over the initials carved on the side: P.A. He takes it in, the ash and soot and the way Ignis reaches for him and something in Noctis' chest breaks.

"No." He said, shaking his head and closing his eyes. He could feel the burning behind his eyes, a lump rising in his throat. "This isn't happening. It _can't_ be happening."

"Noctis..." Ignis made a move towards him, but Noctis rocked back. He stumbled away from them, towards the edge of the wall with the camera still clenched in his hands. There was a flash of blue light, the cold feeling of energy being ripped from air, and Noctis had warped to the ground and vanished into an alley.

Gladiolus stopped Ignis from chasing after him with a hand on his shoulder. "Ig, let him go. He's goin' towards the citadel."

"That could have gone better..." Ignis ran a hand across his face, feeling the layers of dirt and grime that clung to him.

"No." Gladiolus sighed heavily. "I really don't think it could have."


	5. The Dream

It was like the sun had gone out.

Noctis wasn't sure how long he had been curled in bed, his blankets wrapped around him like a second skin. The curtains were pulled shut, coating the room in a thick darkness. He felt like it had been days, maybe even years, but a small part of him knew it hadn't been much longer than a day. He had slept, fitfully, reaching out for a warmth that wasn't there when he awoke. Every night since his friends had left, he had reached out, but this time finding empty sheets beneath his palm only cracked open the grief in his chest.

It was like a void had cracked his open in his chest, unraveling him from the inside out. He had cried himself into oblivion, leaving him hollow and broken with tracks down his face. He hadn't cried like this when his father had died and the guilt of that fact only pulled him further into the dark.

Part of Noctis wished that Ignis or Gladiolus would come see him, but no one had come to interrupt his grief.

 _They probably think you're mad at them,_ a voice in his head told him. He winced outwardly, curling tighter beneath the heavy blankets. No wonder they hadn't come to see him, he had bolted just after getting them back, so overwhelmed by his own grief that he barely even welcomed them back home. A strangled whine rose in his throat, his chest burning with an ache he couldn't describe.

Noctis struggled out of his blanket cocoon, scrambling to his feet in the darkness and nearly falling to the hard marble floor as his foot caught in the blankets. There was a sweatshirt on the back of his chair and he pulled it on, throwing the hood up over his messy hair before slipping out into the hallway. The light was a searing contrast, forcing him to rub his eyes even as he moved down the hall. He wasn't even sure where he was going, but it was as if something was pushing him, some pressure in his chest that forced him towards an unknown place.

It wasn't until Noctis pulled open the heavy door to the library and spotted a familiar coif of blond hair did he know why he was moving. Ignis was too caught up in the books and maps spread out on the table before him to realize the prince was in the room with him. Noctis worms his way into the mans space, finally alerting him to his presence as he coiled his arms around Ignis' middle.

"Wha- Noct." Ignis composed himself quickly, resting a hand on the prince's hooded head. "I'm... surprised to see you here." Noctis doesn't respond, instead pressing his face harder into Ignis' chest. Ignis turned, setting his book down, and embraced him properly. It eased the aching in his chest to be held, something warm and familiar that grounds him in reality.

"'m glad you're okay." Noctis mumbled, his voice rough from sleep and grief. "'m not mad."

He feels Ignis sigh deeply before the man speaks again. "I would not blame you if you were to harbor anger towards us."

"No." Noctis shook his head, digging his forehead into Ignis' collarbone. "Not your fault." He wasn't sure how to explain it beyond that. Of course he missed Prompto, how could he not? His world had come apart with the realization that his boyfriend was never coming back to him. But Prompto had wanted Ignis, Gladiolus and Iris to get back safety, he had _died_ to give them that chance, and Noctis wasn't going to hate them for that. He just couldn't.

He almost laughed. Would his father be proud of how mature he was in his grief?

Ignis carefully pulled his hood down and carded his fingers through Noctis' hair. "Alright." The two of them stayed like that for a long while, Ignis holding him close and working out the knots in the prince's hair. Noctis felt calmer in that moment than he had in days, clinging to one of the bright spots he still had in his life.

He heard the door open and Ignis stiffened slightly. "Lady Lunafreya..."

Noctis released his advisor and turned, spotting Luna walking towards them with Pryna and Umbra at her heels. She smiled sadly at the two of them, reaching out to clasp the hands Noctis held out to her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Her voice and hands were warm. "I was actually coming to check on you, Mr. Scientia."

"Oh?" Ignis looked momentarily startled.

Luna cast a look at Noctis before speaking. "Have you rested since you returned? I recall seeing you here working soon after I excused you from the medical wing and that was many hours ago." She fixed him with the glare of an Oracle when he hesitated in answering her.

"I rested briefly to take a shower." Ignis tugged on the collar of his shirt as if it was strangling him.

Noctis felt his mouth fall open a bit. "Iggy!"

"I was doing important research!"

"Ignis." Noctis forced himself to straighten up a bit, knowing it was a pitiful show of regality. "You need to go rest. Now. That's an order."

Ignis sighed, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses. "Of course, your majesty." He inclined his head to both of them. "Lady Lunafreya. _Prince Noctis._ "

"Take Gladio with you." Noctis called after him, watching Ignis slip through the door. Astrals knew that if Ignis was awake, Gladiolus was too. Once the two of them were along, Noctis turned to Luna with a long sigh. "Hi."

"Oh, Noctis." Luna reached out and pulled him into a hug, wrapping her slender arms around his shoulders. "How are you feeling?"

He buried his face in her shoulder, breathing in the familiar smell of sandalwood and lavender. "Like shit. I had a burst of energy but I feel like I'm about to crash again."

"You should rest, Noctis." She ran her hands up and down his back in soothing lines. "You cannot force yourself through this grief."

"I feel like I'm drowning." His voice came out in a shuddering whisper. "I don't know if I can ever come back from this."

"It's only natural for you to feel like this." Luna soothed. "You have lost someone very important to you. You are allowed to show your grief, Noctis, royalty is not exempt from such feelings. I cannot fully understand the feelings that you shared with Prompto but if I were to loose, say, Gentiana... I think I would feel like I was drowning too."

Noctis hugged her tighter. "Thank you, Luna. That means a lot."

"Of course." She pulls away from him, resting a hand on his cheek. "I feel a bit guilty. I am the one who suggested he seek you out after all."

He was quiet, eventually finding the words. "I'd rather have loved him and be hurting than not known him at all."

"You ought to rest. "

"I don't want to be alone." He mumbled.

"I plan on staying here for a few hours." Luna turned him towards the couch. "You may sleep here." Noctis threw himself down on the couch with little resistance, pulling the throw blanket up over himself. He patted his legs and Umbra leapt up onto him, paws pressing in painfully as the dog marched up onto his chest.

"Ugh, Umbra." Noctis tried to crane his face away so the dog couldn't lick it. "Lie down, bud." He closed his eyes and ran his fingers along the dogs fur. He was exhausted somehow, even though the most strenuous thing he had done all day was get out of bed.

Umbra leaned forward and licked his nose, sending Noctis to sleep.

In his sleep, he dreamed.

—

_Noctis was lying beneath a tall tree in a sunlit field. A warm breeze dusted across his face, pushing his long bangs from his face. Soft sunlight dappled through the leaves onto his face, teasing him with glimpses of an azure sky. He rested his hands on his stomach, breathing in slow, steady lulls. Noctis closed his eyes, content to lay there for hours._

_He wasn't sure how he'd gotten here or why, but he was going to enjoy it while it lasted._

_"Hey, sleepyhead." A familiar voice broke through his reverie. Noctis sat up slowly, stretching his arms above his head and watching with hooded eyes as Prompto walked towards him. His boyfriend looked tired, his already pale skin ruddy and grey. Despite that, he approached Noctis with his hands in the pockets of his vest and a shy smile on his face._

_Noctis shakes his head, grinning. "Can you blame me? It's so nice here." He holds out a hand and his smile brightens when Prompto takes it and allows the prince to pull him down beside him. "You look tired, Prom."_

_"I am tired." Prompto admits, his eyes fixed out on the field that stretched below them. "Things have just been... Busy?"_

_"I feel you." Noctis ran his thumb along Prompto's knuckles. "Good news is we can just cuddle here for a while."_

_There is a moment of hesitation before Prompto finally looks at him, the smile returning to his face. "You're right." He coiled his arms around Noctis' middle and pushed the man over, toppling them both to the ground. Noctis lets it happen, adjusting himself so that his boyfriend is nestled in the crook of his neck and cradled in his arms. He sighed happily, closing his eyes._

_"Hey, Noct?" He could feel Prompto's voice rumbling against his ribs. "Do you remember high school?"_

_"You're going to have to be a bit more specific..." He laughed._

_"That's fair," Prompto huffed. "Do you remember the day I first came up and talked to you?"_

_"How could I forget? It's not every day the prettiest person on Eos walks up and says hello."_

_Prompto jabbed his fingers into Noctis' sides, sputtering in embarrassment. "You-!" Prompto sat up and dragged one hand down his face, groaning in fond amusement. "I hate you so much."_

_Noctis followed suit, wrapping an arm around the blonds shoulders so he could kiss his forehead. "Hate you too, babe." They sat together like that for a long time, holding each other and enjoying the feeling of the sun and the wind._

_"What I was_ trying _to say was that..." Prompto trailed off, chewing on his lower lip. "I couldn't sleep that entire night before hand because I was so nervous you were going to laugh at me or something. So I asked the Astrals for a sign because I was freakin' desperate!"_

_"Oh?" Noctis ran his fingers up and down Prompto's spine, intrigued by the story. "Did they reply?"_

_When he speaks again, it's soft and nervous, as if he's expecting the words to fail him. "I looked outside my window and I saw a shooting star."_

_"That's a pretty good sign."_

_"I cried, dude." Prompto laughed, the sound slowly fading to a sad sort of whine. "I'm glad I finally got to tell you."_

_Noctis frowned, "You say that like there aren't going to be any other chances." The wind turned cold, a heavy pressure building on his chest. Panic gripped him, winding its fingers around his throat and cutting off his air._

_Prompto just shook his head and sat back, cupping Noctis' face in his hands. "I love you, you know that, right? You changed my life for the better, and I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I need you to remember that when you wake up." There was no time for Noctis to respond because Prompto closed the distance and kissed him. Noctis coiled his arms around Prompto's shoulders and pulled him closer, as if the tighter he pressed to the other boys chest the less his heart will ache._

_He doesn't understand why he's crying when Prompto pulls away._

_—_

He woke with a start, almost knocking Umbra to the floor as he flailed. The dog nuzzled into his hand, whining gently. If a dog could look apologetic, Umbra was awash with the expression.

"Noctis?" Luna appeared above him, eyes tired and hair falling from it's usual ponytail. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He gasped, letting himself fall back into the couch. "Just a bad dream, don't worry about me." Noctis ran his fingers along Umbra's course fur, forcing his racing heart to slow. The memory of the dream hung heavy on his tongue, tears burning behind his eyes. If Luna noticed, she blessedly didn't comment. Instead she ran her fingers through his bangs for a few moments before returning to her work.

Noctis closed his eyes again, pressing them tight to stop the tears. _The Astrals are cruel indeed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theres probably gonna be another lull in me posting this, just FYI! Ive realized I need to finish this before Nanowrimo starts, so my new plan is to finish all the chapters and then edit and post in November!


	6. The Plan

By the fifth week Noctis had started to feel somewhat human again. He had started sleeping on the couch in his room instead of his bed, struggling with space that was meant for two people. Nightmares still followed him, but he no longer woke up in a cold sweat or with tears on his face. He ate three meals a day, got ten (or more) hours of sleep and he had even gone back to complaining when Gladiolus made him train.

All of them were surprised that the thing which had saved him was his work.

Noctis threw himself into reports and tactics, becoming the Prince everyone had always wanted him to be. He would never admit it to Ignis but he had paid more attention during council meetings in the past few weeks than he had in the rest of his life combined. They couldn't really be considered council meetings anymore, since the old members had all been captured and publicly executed by Niflheim, but he refused to call them war meetings. It was just Noctis, Lunafreya, Gladiolus, Ignis and Cor; a group that hardly resembled the old council.

Cor paced the length of the table, hand clenching and unclenching on the handle of his saber. There were plenty of seats, but he refused to sit and rest, even for a moment. His short hair was starting to turn grey on the edges, a sign of the stress he was under.

"We know the name of our enemy now," His voice echoed around the room. "Chancellor Ardyn Izunia."

"I had heard rumors of his power even before this war began," Ignis sat forward, tenting his fingers in front of his face. "Apparently he has spearheaded the recent developments with the Magitek research."

Cor paused for a moment, gripping the back of a chair. "There are also reports that Imperial High Commander Ravus is working with him."

To Noctis' left, Luna suppressed a wince. "Ah. I had hoped my brother would resist the call of power but it seems his arrogance won out."

Noctis sighed. "Couldn't we ask for help from Accordio and Galahd?" His voice was hoarse and he cleared his throat. These days, he rarely spoke unless it as necessary.

"We had attempted to garner support from them at the beginning of all this. However they are..." Luna paused, blue eyes narrowed as she tried to think of the polite way to phrase her next words. "Resistant to the idea. They believe that Niflheim will turn this force towards them should they intervene."

"Assholes." Gladiolus muttered under his breath from where he hovered just over Noctis' shoulder. The prince was the only one who heard his comment and he struggled to hide the grin he felt tug at his lips.

"We've lost a lot of Glaives to reconnaissance efforts but very few of their tags have been recovered. More than half are unaccounted for."

"This is clearly deeper than just an invasion. Cor, Ignis, Luna." Noctis addressed the three of them. "You have the most information on what has been going on. I'd like you to compile your notes and get me a list of what we need done."

Ignis drummed his fingers along the folder in front of him. "Of course, your Highness." The three of them filter out, leaving Noctis and Gladiolus alone in the large room. Noctis puts his elbows on the table and rubbed his eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. He felt Gladiolus' hands on his shoulders, thumbs digging into the tight knots of muscle beneath his skin.

"You good, princess?" The nickname normally irritated the prince, but this time he let the familiarity of it bring him some comfort.

"Yeah, just dreading the list Ignis is gonna hand me." Noctis laughed wearily, wincing slightly as Gladiolus dug a bit to hard into a sore spot on his shoulder. "You're killin me, Gladio."

Gladiolus ignored the comment. "You're a mess, Noct." He sighed and released Noctis to pull the chair out. "Come on, no use sittin' around here waiting for those three to make their list."

Noctis stood and followed Gladiolus out of the room, glad for any distraction. "Where are we going?"

"Training room." The Shield rolled his shoulders as they stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to descend. "Don't suppose you still have that folder of exercises from your old doctor?"

"Maybe?" He shrugged. "If anything Ignis probably has them."

"Eh." Gladiolus waved a hand. "We'll figure it out." They spent the rest of the ride down in a comfortable silence. Noctis wasn't looking forward to whatever Gladiolus had in store for him, but at least it didn't seem like they would be sparring. His back was _killing_ him from sleeping on the couch. Of course, he couldn't tell either of his friends about his new sleeping arrangement. They were both already acting like mother hens around him, if they knew he was tossing and turning on a deceptively leather couch, they would probably force him to sleep in their room.

Which would be a kind offer, but the last thing he wanted to do was third wheel his closest allies in their bedroom.

The training room was empty when they arrived, giving them more than enough space to work. Gladiolus disappeared into the storage closet for a few minutes while Noctis lingered in the middle of the large room. When he finally returned he had a bunch of resistance bands and weights under one arm while the other triumphantly brandished a folder.

"Found copies of your file from physical therapy." He said, depositing the supplies towards one of the back corners. Noctis drifted over to him, hands struggling to undo the zipper of the hoodie he was wearing. Eventually he managed to peel it off and tossed it against the wall, settling down next to his friend. Gladiolus was pouring over the files with careful eyes, not just trying to learn the motions but to understand them.

In his already fragile state, the show of care almost made Noctis cry. He scooted closer and rested his cheek against Gladiolus' arm as if reading the file over his shoulder. In reality it was just an excuse to be close.

"Alright." Gladiolus set the folder aside and twisted to reach the weights behind him without disturbing the man leaning on him. "We'll start you off slow."

Noctis raised his eyebrows. "I've never heard you say _that_ before." Everyone assumed Ignis had high expectations of Noctis, and he did, but Gladiolus was always pushing Noctis to do more.

Gladiolus scoffed. "Don't wanna break you. We're low on fighters as it is."

"Fair."

Noctis tried not to think of the past as Gladiolus ran him through the basics. The training room always reminded him of Crownsguard training, and that in itself reminded him of times where they were a group of four. Despite being a trio for so many years before adding Prompto to their ranks, it felt wrong to return to their old ways.

He tried to focus only on Gladiolus' words and the instructions he was given, shoving his grief into the pit of his stomach.

When Ignis came to collect them two hours later Noctis' legs felt like they were made of jelly. He felt like a garula had run him over and was in the middle of lamenting that fact to Gladiolus when Ignis entered the room. The advisor looked between the two, Noctis lying on the floor and Gladiolus leaning against a pillar with a book, and shook his head.

"We're ready to give you our report." He said, walking over to them with his hands in his pockets.

Gladiolus quickly closed his book and stood, nudging Noctis with the toe of his boot. "Come on, princess."

"Can't." Noctis threw an arm over his eyes. "Too tired. Go on without me." He could almost feel the look that passed between Ignis and Gladiolus.

"Must I remind you that you requested this, your highness?" Ignis said. "Therefore, we cannot go on without you." Noctis groaned and rolled over, pushing himself up to his feet with difficulty. He was going to be sore for the next hundred years. _Start off easy,_ he scoffed to himself, _yeah right._ Ignis and Gladiolus walked a few paces ahead of him as they left the room, heads bent close together as they whispered. Noctis didn't bother calling them out on it, not really wanting to know what it was they were talking about.

Luna and Cor are waiting for them when they return to the council chambers, papers spread along its surface. Noctis makes his way to his seat and settles in, bracing himself for bad news.

He's starting to understand why his father always looked exhausted.

"Well?" He spreads his hands. "Who wants to go first?"

Cor quirked an eyebrow at the comment but stepped forward. "I've compiled the reports from the Kingsglaive we've sent out and it seems that the empire has set up fortresses in the Duscue region, but we haven't been able to get any agents inside. Ignis and I speculate that there are generators of some kind protected inside that allow the Empire to control the MT soldiers from a distance."

"It's unlikely that they're able to exert such control from Niflheim." Ignis added, adjusting his glasses. "However we lack the information to confirm anything."

Noctis glanced over his shoulder to Gladiolus. "How many glaives would you say we could deploy without endangering the Citadel?"

Gladiolus thought for a moment. "We could probably spare a dozen or so. We're taking as many able-bodied recruits from the survivors as we can, but training is slow."

He nodded, tenting his fingers in front of his face as he had seen Ignis do so many times before. "Send as many glaives out as you and Cor think we can, in pairs of two. Information is key at this point so the harsh reality is that it's better for us to only have one of them return with the information than both with nothing. We need to know more before we can proceed."

Cor inclined his head. "I'll brief our best people on what we need from them. I should be able to get them out in the field by tomorrow."

Luna bit back a sigh and adjusted the stack of papers on the table in front of her. "I've been trying to get more information on what is happening in Tenebrae, but my resources have been limited, as has my contact with Gentianna." She twisted the pendant that hung around her neck, eyes looking to the distance. "It may be beneficial for me to try and contact the Astrals for guidance, but I cannot guarantee that they will be much help."

"At this point, I will take anything." Noctis reached out and rested his hand on hers, offering as much support as he could muster. He hadn't asked her to use her powers since arriving, knowing how much it took out of her to do more than heal with the stress she was under.

"Permit me to offer a suggestion." Ignis said carefully, as if fearing that his idea was going to create issue. "Send me out to infiltrate one of the bases."

Noctis felt his blood freeze. "Absolutely not."

"Your Highness, I am faster and far better equipped to get in and out of one of those bases without being spotted, I can-"

"I said no." Noctis slammed a hand down on the table, shocking the advisor to silence. "You're needed here. End of discussion. Both you and Gladio are staying here."

Ignis nodded, his body stiff as a board. "Yes, your Highness."

Noctis almost apologized, but he felt anger burning hot in his stomach. He was glad he had pulled his hand away from Luna's, instead digging his blunt nails into his legs. It was a miracle that he made it through the rest of the meeting without snapping someone's head off. With all the strength left in him he delegated the movement of resources and assistance in a voice as detached as he could, simmering like Ifrit's flame beneath his skin.

Once they had wrapped up, Noctis stood and left. He didn't bother to see if Gladiolus was behind him or not, warping down the hall and away from the stifling room with a flick of his wrist. There was no clear destination in his mind, but eventually he found himself in the gardens. The cold air and starless night sky forced him to pause and take a breath, his hands slowly unclenching by his sides.

"How would I possibly have agreed to that?" Noctis growled, continuing to pace along the cobblestone paths of the royal gardens. A few moments into his stomping he realized where his feet were taking him. He gave into the pull and stalked to the far side of the wide pavilion, throwing himself down by the headstone they had put up in honor of his father. One day, King Regis would be entombed like the rest of their ancestors, just like Noctis would, but the world was far to dangerous for such a tradition.

Noctis ran his fingers along the cursive letters that spelled his fathers name, mouth twisting into a frown. "Hey, dad." He sat back in the grass, tucking his legs under him. The relationship between father and son had never been as close as it could have been, duty and memories getting in the way of moments they could have shared. The King had done his best to be the father that Noctis deserved, and yet the young prince had seen those acts of kindness as the work of an overbearing man.

The last time he had seen his father, he had been ungrateful. Stand offish.

Noctis dropped his face into his hands, feeling as empty as the sky above him. "I'm sorry, I really am. You did so much for me, for all of Lucius. They deserve to have you leading them in these times not me. Instead they're stuck with a prince who barely knows what he's doing." The words fell heavily in the air between him and the marble, settling like ice on his skin.

"I'm sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while! I know I said I was going to update during November but Nano got away from me haha


	7. The Visitor

Noctis sat at his desk, chin resting in his hands as he flipped through the latest reports Cor had put together for him. The news wasn't good: More glaives were missing and the information that they _had_ gotten back was spotty at best. Cor and Ignis had been right about the generators, but they were heavily armored and so well guarded that none of the teams had been able to take them out. Most of the fortresses had become designated cloning facilities, their rooms lined with rows and rows of glowing tanks hooked up to one another. It proved Cid and Dave's theories, but the pictures made his stomach twist.

Gladiolus and Ignis were doing everything they could to continue training their recruits, but they were loosing people faster than they could convince citizens to join them. Noctis ran his hands across his face and stood, biting the bullet and admitting that he needed to recall the forces he had sent out.

The hallways were empty when he left his room. It wasn't surprising given how few people remained within, but it still set him on edge. Gladiolus had decided that Noctis was no longer in danger when left alone, so he had stopped assigning a glaive to keep an eye on him. It was, however, making his search a bit harder.

Before he committed to the idea that everyone in the castle had vanished on him, he found Libertus and Nyx in the dining hall. They were sitting close, looking tired but happy to have time together. He was hesitant to disturb them.

Noctis was about to turn and leave when Libertus spotted him. "Your Highness!" He waved, making no move to shift away from Nyx. It was strangely relieving that the two weren't worried about showing their relationship around him even as he moved to join. Gladiolus and Ignis had been avoiding such things when he was in the room as if it might stir up bad memories. The memories were always there, he wasn't so selfish that he was going to deny others their relationships.

"Sorry to interrupt your lunch." Noctis slid into a seat across from them. "I was looking for Cor, do you know where he is?"

Nyx leaned back and tossed his arm across the back of Libertus' chair. "Last I saw he was heading out to patrol the outer wall, but that was this morning."

"I wasn't really paying attention." Libertus admitted, pulling his plate closer to himself. "Crowe's been acting weird for weeks now, I was trying to get her to talk. I'd check the training room if I were you, Gladio should be in there if its nothing terribly urgent."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Noctis moved to stand but Nyx reached out a hand and he paused.

"Hey, you've heard of the Oracle's crazy idea, right?" His eyes searched Noctis' face. "Are we really sending her out past the wall?"

Noctis frowned. He had almost forgotten what Luna had planned, having been so wrapped up in death counts. She had somehow convinced them to let her leave the city in an attempt to commune with the Fulgurian, hoping to gain its blessing for the fight against the empire. Nyx and Libertus had been tasked with accompanying her, as had several of their remaining senior glaives. Noctis knew it was a terrible idea, but Luna had been insistent. She had threatened, in her overtly polite way, that she would simply sneak out and leave on her own if anyone tried to stop her. None of them wanted that, so she had earned herself a small army of bodyguards to go and track down the three trees needed for the ritual.

"Yeah, I know what Luna's up too." Noctis said finally, realizing that Nyx was still waiting for a response. "I just hope that her luck is better than mine and she makes it back safely. With luck she may even find Gentianna again."

"Sure hope so." Libertus said, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Would prefer it if we didn't have to return home with news that the Oracle had died."

Nyx frowned. "Better not return at all if that's going to be the case."

"Well, let's not think about that." Noctis raised his hands, surprising himself with his resistance to thinking dark thoughts. "You're all going to be perfectly fine and Luna will come back even more powerful than before."

"Right, Boss." Libertus nodded and then knocked shoulders with his boyfriend. "I'll keep this one from overthinking things."

Standing finally, Noctis returned the nod. "Please do. Thanks for the information, I should go find Cor." He left the two of them there, sighing heavily. Just one more thing for him to worry over.

He had barely made it out into the hallway when someone came barreling around the corner. it was Iris, her eyes wild as she frantically searched for something or someone. When she spotted him, she threw herself in his direction and latched onto his arm.

"Noct! You've gotta come to the main doors! Hurry!" She started to drag him back down the hall, breathing hard from exertion.

"Woah, Iris!" He struggled to keep up with the girl. He's barely seen her since she returned with Ignis and Gladiolus. Iris had started helping the doctors outside the main wall of the citadel, tending to the wounded refugees and guards as they came in. This was the first time he had seen her in the citadel in a long time.

"No time to explain!" She tightened her grip on his wrist and picked up the pace. He relented and matched her speed, the marble halls flashing past them.

When he finally made it to the top of the stairs that led down to the main hall, he saw the problem.

There was a woman standing just inside the door, surrounded by Cor, Ignis and Gladiolus. She had grey blond hair pulled back from her face and an impressive spear held loosely in one hand. She was dressed in intricate armor laced with metal. To her left and right were two men in Niflheim colours, both looking bored with the situation.

"Is there a problem?" Noctis raised his voice to call attention as he started down the stairs, Iris a few paces behind him. The woman looked familiar somehow, as if he had seen her in pictures. She watched him descend with an easy smirk on her face, green eyes never once flicking to the three heavily armed men that were aiming weapons at her.

"You must be the prince I've heard so much about." She drawled, flicking a piece of non-existent dust off of her shoulder. "Commodore Aranea Highwind. Or, former Commodore I suppose, since my fellows and I left."

"Left?" Noctis raised an eyebrow, stepping down the final stair and approaching her. "Or were you removed?"

The smirk morphed into a smile that chilled him to the bone. "Please, the empire needed me too much to ever demote me. I left of my own free will. Isn't that right, boys?"

The two men beside her perk up slightly, one of them letting out an: "Aye, Lady A."

Aranea gestured to them over her shoulder. "Biggs and Wedge."

Gladiolus took a step forward, interposing himself between Noctis and Aranea. "That's real nice, but why are you here? You think a commodore of Niflheim can just waltz in here?"

Aranea glanced around, pointedly taking in her surroundings. "Well, yes." Gladiolus moved to speak again but she held up a hand. "Down boy. I'm here for a reason. I've got information I thought might interest you."

"Information?" Iris planted herself in front of Noctis as well, arms crossed over her chest as she stared up at Aranea. "What kind of information."

Looking down at the girl like it was the most adorable show of defiance she had ever seen, Aranea planted the hilt of her spear against the marble floor. "Information on those missing glaives of yours." The look in her eyes was a dare, take it or leave it. Would they trust the word of a supposed Niflheim defector, or would they turn her away and potentially loose the information. He knew then why she looked so calm; even with weapons pointed at her throat Aranea held all the cards.

Noctis raised a hand, looking between everyone assembled. "Let's go somewhere a bit more private." He turned on his heel and started back up the stairs. Gladiolus was on his heels, sword still clenched in one hand. Noctis forced himself to look straight ahead. If he turned back to check if Ignis and Cor were watching Aranea, she would know how shaken their position was.

He was already taking a dangerous gamble even letting her past the foyer.

The tension could have been cut with a knife, but their visitors from Niflheim didn't seem fazed.

"Nice place they've got 'ere." Biggs commented, hands tucked in the pockets of his large overcoat. His words seemed directed towards Wedge, but his companion just grunted in response. "Little too dark for my tastes though. How 'bout you, Lady A?"

Aranea tapped her spear against the ground with every step, enjoying how the echoing sound was getting on everybody's nerves. "We can't blame the Lucians for their poor taste."

Wedge scoffed and spoke for the first time. "Poor taste? You're dating a Lucian." Aranea laughed, but before she could respond Cor's curt tone interrupted her.

"Enough chatter."

Noctis bit back a sigh and opened the doors to the council chamber. He was going to be surprised if this meeting ended with everyone in one piece. Gladiolus had been itching for a fight ever since Noctis forbid him from leaving the citadel, and even Ignis was beginning to shift impatiently from foot to foot.

Taking his place at the head of the table, Noctis waved a hand for the others to sit. Aranea sat across from him, crossing on leg over the other in one fluid motion. Biggs and Wedge lingered on either side of her chair, not quite committed to standing or sitting. They were mirrored by Gladiolus and Ignis, who took up position behind Noctis. The prince had to fight the urge to scowl; they were making this much more dramatic than it needed to be.

"So, you have information." He turned his mind back towards the task at hand. "What do you want in return for it?"

"Information of my own." She spun the shaft of her spear with idle fingers. "Nothing major, just someone's location. This invasion isn't something I'm keen to see stick around."

"That seems like a fair trade." Noctis said, holding up a hand pre-emptively as Cor and Ignis both looked aghast. "Who are you looking for?"

Aranea scanned the room quickly, a frown curling her lips. "Tell you what kid, I'll give you my information first and then you can answer my question. Your glaives are being held in Cleigne, the empire set a base down in the Vesperpool to use the fog to their advantage. It's heavily fortified, but poorly manned, with a good distraction it would be easy for a small team to slip in through the back."

"The Vesperpool is a large area." Cor drawled. "Can you mark the base on a map."

Aranea shrugged. "Sure, and I'd be willing to cause that distraction for you should you want the help. I have no love for the Empire, but I greatly enjoy kicking their ass."

All heads turned to Noctis. He leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers along the wooden table. It was a risky move, taking the word of an imperial commodore and sending troops in to ambush a base but if it got their glaives back... He couldn't pass up the opportunity to save his people.

He stilled his drumming fingers, "Thank you for your information, Commodore. We would be happy to take your up on your offer of help, given that you're willing to help formulate a better plan that 'big distraction'."

"I would be willing." Aranea looked pleased to be getting her way. "Your advisors certainly need my help." A brief look of offense passed over Ignis' face and Noctis almost laughed.

Instead he reached out and beckoned his friend forward. "Ignis if you would be so kind as to put the Commodores information to good use, I would appreciate that. "

"Of course, your highness." Ignis inclined his head.

"Now, I believe I owe you information." Noctis turned back to Aranea and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "So?"

She copied his pose, green eyes piercing even from a distance. "There is supposed to be a third one of you bodyguard people. Blond kid, tall, lanky, covered in freckles, weirdly good with guns?"

The room seemed to grow cold, and if Noctis didn't know better he might have thought Ignis was channeling magic. He clenched his hands together so tight his knuckles turned white, his stomach twisting into knots.

There was a long beat of silence where her words hung in the air before Noctis managed to speak. "How do you know Prompto?"

"Kid and I went on a...." Aranea hunted for the proper word. "Field trip together a while back. I was expecting to see him here but I don't."

"He's dead." Noctis said, and it took everything in his power not to spit the words. "He was killed in Lestallum."

Genuine shock registers across Aranea's features, her confident pose and air falling away. The room fall silent, a burning, strangling silence that makes Noctis want to warp out of the room.

"Trust me." He spoke again, leaning back in his chair once more. "I wish I had better news for you."

"I imagine." Aranea's voice was quiet, forlorn. "He spoke very highly of you all."

Standing so suddenly he almost knocked his chair over, Noctis turned towards Ignis. "Well, I will leave the planning to you all. I'll be in my room if you need me." With that he stood and paced from the room, Gladiolus on his heels. The shield caught up to him and looped an arm around his shoulders, pulling Noctis back to a more reasonable walking speed. He leaned into his friends side, as if he could disappear completely behind Gladiolus's form.

"What was Prompto doing with an imperial commodore?" Noctis asked, because it was easier to ask the simple questions than to talk about the hole in his chest. "I can't even think of a time when he was gone for that long..."

"My guess is he never wanted to tell us." Gladiolus said simply. "Do you really need to know?"

"No." The answer feels hollow, but Noctis gives it anyways. He knows that Gladiolus is right, that learning the secrets of a dead love won't help him move on but it feels like a dagger to the heart all the same. Whatever happened with Aranea is just one more thing he never learned about his partner, despite how close they were.

And now, that distance would never be closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Messed with the time line a bit because I wanted to get Aranea in here, so the events of episode Prompto minus the train-debacle happened while Prom and Noct were in highschool.


	8. The Stronghold

The Vesperpool was a damp and murky place.

Ignis had seen it several times from the road, but he had never dared to go in himself. The mud seeped into his boots, the thick, dark water washing away their steps. Red energy ebbed and flowed around them, carrying the acidic smell of metal and oil. Four of them crept through the darkness and the trees: Ignis, Cor, Nyx and Libertus. Distantly they could hear the sounds of Aranea and a group of Glaive mages led by Crowe launching their frontal assault.

The fortress loomed out of the darkness, a monster made of dark stones and twisted metal. Distantly Ignis could see the red glow of MT eyes as they patrolled the walls, the skeleton crew that was left behind by those who left to deal with Aranea.

Cor held up one hand and the four of them gathered behind the safety of a downed tree. The fog swirled around them, condensation gathering on Ignis' glasses.

"We need to go in quietly and get over the wall before anyone sees us." Cor pitched his voice low, cautious despite the distance between them and the wall. "Libertus, you're going to warp onto that far corner and take out that guard, which will give us an opening. Nyx and Ignis, the second that guard goes down I want you two on that wall to take out the others."

Ignis nodded once and summoned his daggers from the aether, grounded by the cold metal in his hands. With a signal from Cor, Libertus drew his axes and ducked around the tree. He hurled one of the axes with a loose sideways throw and warped after it, his form vanishing from the swamp beside them. There was a brief flash from the wall and then the cold body of an MT fell over the edge, landing heavily in the water. Ignis and Nyx rushed forward, and the latter wrapping his fingers around Ignis' wrist and hurling one of his kukris. Ignis felt the familiar sensation of energy pulling in the pit of his stomach as Nyx warped them both to the top of the wall.

The second his feet hit the ground Ignis lunged. The dagger left his hands in a blur, sinking between the plates of the nearest guards helmet. The red lights in it's eyes died as it crumbled forward, it's fall softened as he caught it. Lowering the guard to the floor and retrieving his dagger, Ignis checked on his compatriots. The other side of the wall was clear, and Cor had scaled the wall himself. Moving in a low crouch, the four of them reconvened by a trap door in the corner.

The sounds of Aranea's battle was louder there, magic pulling in Ignis's veins as the Kingsglaive mages hurled fire and ice. Libertus wedged one of his axes into the trap door and popped it open, holding it back so Nyx had enough room to slip through. Ignis followed close behind, the harsh lights of the base jarring against the dim atmosphere from outside. The metal walls were smooth, barren even from panels and crates. This base had been built quickly and was run by a small crew, leaving no room for stocked supplies.

Cor dropped down beside them and summoned his katana. "Alright, according to the Commodore there are two levels to this place. The first is a laboratory and there are holding cells below that. Libertus and Nyx, I want the two of you to seize the laboratory and any research and information you can find. If there are personal take them in alive, we'll be needing any information we can get. Ignis, you're with me."

"Of course, Marshal." Ignis adjusted his grip on his daggers, falling in beside the man. They encountered very little resistance on their way down, splitting off from Nyx and Libertus as they hit the stairs. Any MTs that were patrolling past them were easily taken down in one quick strike, the two of them barely pausing to make sure their red eyes had gone dim.

Being back in the field was a refreshing change of pace. After Noctis' outburst at his suggestion a few weeks ago, Ignis imagined he was going to be stuck behind stacks of paper until a solution was found. Given the chance to put his daggers back through their motions was like coming home. With each MT that he took down he imagined it as an act of vengeance for the lives he wasn't able to save. These soldiers likely didn't even know where or what Lestallum was, but Ignis was enacting the price of blood from each and every one of them.

They hit the holding cells behind a heavy steel door. The hall was devoid of light and life, the heavy doors of each cell closed and barred. There wasn't a single MT in sight, likely having been called away to fight and leaving the floor in lockdown.

Ignis hunted for a panel by the door and with a few experimental taps manage to get some dim lights on. The hall was carved of crude stone and metal frames, dirt and blood staining the floor. It was archaic by the Empires standards, akin to an ancient torture chamber rather than an actual prison. Cor strode to the first door and heaved the bar off of it, letting the heavy metal fall to the ground.

There was a shivering woman curled in the cell beyond, her hands flying up to a defensive position when the door opened. By the looks of her tattered garb she was one of their glaives, and Ignis regretted that he had never learned all their names.

"It's alright." Cor said, speaking loud enough that his voice could carry down the hall. "We're here to get you all out of here."

The woman looked up in shock, grey eyes drinking them both in. "Marshal!" She stood quickly, the chains that bound her wrists clattering together. "How did you find us?"

"A little outside help." Ignis offered, stepping forward to carefully slide one of his daggers between her wrists and the cuffs there. With one quick wrench he had freed her bruised, raw hands. She rubbed the skin there with a slight wince, gently ice magic glittering around her fingers as she tapped back into the crystals influence.

"Thank you." She straightened and saluted them both. Cor waved her off, stepping out of the door so she could leave the cell.

"Let's get the rest of you out." He spoke more to the hall than any real person, and Ignis could see faces peering at them through the gaps in the doors. They went cell by cell, throwing open doors and passing out weapons that they had stored in the armiger. There were about a dozen glaives, each one bruised and malnourished but clamoring for a fight.

Ignis pulled a greatsword from the Armiger, and just as he was about to hand it off to the nearest glaive he spotted a note tied to it's handle. He plucked it free and relinquished the sword to the man beside him.

_Stay safe._

It was written in Noctis' handwriting, and Ignis could almost imagine the prince rolling his eyes as Gladiolus made him piled weapons and elixirs into the armiger. He tucked the note into his pocket and turned back to the rest of the room, seeing the rest of the glaives assembling by Cor. The one they had freed first, a woman named Valencia according to what the others called her, spoke up as they all assembled.

"There's one more thing. We've seen them opening a door to a third level." She pointed to the far end of the hall, which seemed like a solid wall from their perspective. "From what I've overheard they're keeping someone else down there."

Ignis exchanged a look with Cor before taking a step back. "I will give it a look and meet you back on the top floor." With a nod from Cor, Ignis turned and slipped back to the far wall. Now that he knew where to look he could see a faint outline of a door etched into the wall. He reached out carefully and pushed it open, the heavy stone scraping against the floor.

It was nearly pitch black beyond, and even as Ignis lit one of his daggers with fire it was difficult to see the stairs beneath his feet. He moved slowly, taking each step carefully as he descended down a spiral stair case. The air was damp and musty, smelling of stone and metal. After about a minute the stairwell grew lighter, the walls tinged blue from some source of light. Ignis began to hear the hum of machinery and what sounded like moving water.

His knuckles were white on the handles of his daggers as he hit the last stair and stepped through a doorway. Beyond was a long hallway lined with large tanks, each one lit by a harsh blue light. They were encased in metal, showing nothing save for a small gap near the top. As Ignis got closer he could see bodies suspended in each one, a calm expression plastered on identical faces. He felt his stomach twist at the sight: a cloning facility, hidden deep in the bones of the stronghold.

At the very far end of the room was a reinforced security door. It was solid metal and lined with glowing threads of red energy. Whatever, or whoever, was behind that door was much too valuable to let out.

Ignis crept closer, scanning every dark corner for signs of movement. Beyond the sounds of machinery and water, the room was eerily still and it crept along his skin like burrowing insects. When he reached the door he paused, scanning the surface of the metal. It buzzed dangerously, the energy making the hair on his arms stand up despite his distance.

There was a console a few steps beside the door and Ignis approached it. There was very little information available on the front screen, just a list of vitals and a sequence of numbers: N-iP0135. Frowning, Ignis tapped the screen in the hopes of bringing up a menu, the light reflecting harshly off his glasses. He managed to find a command for a security camera, but the inside of the cell only appeared to him as a dark square. Hissing in frustration he tapped a few more buttons until suddenly the room came into view.

It was cast in a sickly green, some kind of night vision mode most likely, but what caught Ignis' attention more was the person inside. They were tucked into the far corner, curled tightly around themself with hair obscuring their face. They had one arm wrapped around their knees, and from this angle it looked as if their other arm was missing entirely.

Something about them was... familiar. Ignis couldn't shake the feeling that he _knew_ that form, the swoop of hair that curled from their forehead. He knew their dirty, torn clothes and the hundreds of freckles that dotted their sickly skin.

 _"No."_ Ignis breathed aloud, pinning the sense of familiarity down in his mind and feeling his blood run cold, "It can't be..."

The figure raised his head as if he had heard Ignis' words and the features of his face came into clear view. A narrow face, thin nose and dark, tired eyes that Ignis would have bet his life were blue.

_Prompto._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all really thought I killed the boy?
> 
> If you want to yell with me (or at me) I'm I-mossy over on tumblr!


	9. The Cell

_"No."_ Ignis breathed aloud, pinning the sense of familiarity down in his mind and feeling his blood run cold.

He fumbled for the controls, his fingers clumsy in his frantic need to get the doors open. Wrenching a dagger into existence he severed the connections between the monitor and its wires, hearing the power to the door cut out. As the red light failed and retreated back along the surface, Ignis practically warped to the door. He slammed the tip of one blade into the groove between the two metal panels, wrenching an inch of space between them.

He dropped the knife the second there was enough space between the two for both his hands, physically wedging himself between the two to open it.

Prompto had scrambled back from the person tearing open the cell doors, his remaining hand raised to shield his face from both the light and a potential attacker. In the light his condition was worse, his skin pale, sickly and marred with bruises and cuts. There were old and bloodied bandages wrapped around his right shoulder where his arm no longer was, the smell of infection heavy in the air.

Ignis banished his knives and held up his hands, taking a few cautious steps forward. "Prompto, it's me. It's Ignis" Breathing heavily, Prompto peered through the cracks in his fingers. Falling to his knees, Ignis leaned closer, willing the man to believe him, relieved when his arm fell away from his face. Those familiar blue eyes were darkened with untold horror, scanning Ignis's face as if searching for signs that he was real.

"I..." The voice was barely more than a whisper, as if Prompto hadn't used his voice in a long time. "Ignis?"

"I'm here to save you." Ignis dared another inch forward. He wanted nothing more than to lean forward and gather his friend into his arms, promising that he was _here_ and he was _real_ and this nightmare was finally over. "I have the marshal with me... and Commodore Highwind."

Prompto's eyes widened. "Aranea? How..." He shook his head suddenly, unkempt hair obscuring his bruised and gaunt face. "Can't leave."

"Why?" Ignis went to move forward again but Prompto recoiled from him, free hand flying up once more. This time his fingers clawed at the tattered remains of his shirt, pulling the fabric away from his rough skin. Ignis caught sight of a strip of metal and a heavy black box, and as Prompto shifted Ignis could see barbs digging into his skin.

"Can't leave." Prompto repeated, coughing as the words disturbed his parched throat. "You need to... go."

"Out of the question." Ignis lifted his hands carefully. "Can I take a look?" He wanted nothing more than to just grab the boy and run from the room, but this required caution. Cor and Aranea could wait the few minutes it took for him to save Prompto's life.

After a few beats of hesitation, Prompto lowered his guarded stance and Ignis moved beside him. Prompto had been slim the entire time Ignis had known him, but now he was dreadfully thin, his skin pulled tight over a patchwork of veins and bone. It was difficult to force himself to look at the collar; fretting over Prompto could come once they were in the clear.

Summoning one of his daggers again he managed to pry the lid of the device off. Beneath it was a simple mechanism: a code lock and pin pad with wires that disappeared into the metal of the collar itself. He could feel a faint electric current running through it and gritted his teeth. If he got this wrong it was likely the collar would kill them both.

There was a harsh burst of static in the earpiece in his left ear and Ignis winced as Cors voice came in harsh. "Ignis, what's the hold up?!"

"I found Prompto." Ignis forced his voice to remain calm. "I need more time to get him out of here."

"What do you mean you found-" Cor cut himself off with a growl. "Hurry up! We have reinforcements on the way."

"Buy me time." Ignis grits back before he pulls the earpiece from it's place and lets it dangle against his neck.

Thin fingers curled around his wrist, impossibly cold against his skin. "Ignis, go." Prompto's voice was a whisper. "You're not safe here."

"This needs a code." Turning back to the device, Ignis ignored Prompto's words. "Do you know anything it might be?"

Prompto swallowed hard, the barbs pulling at his skin. "It was a long code. They had to take it off of me every time I left this room, but I don't know anything else." Ignis rested a hand on his shoulder, hating how there was a slight flinch at the contact. Taking a deep, quiet breath, Ignis began cycling through ideas for what the code would be. There had to be some significance to it, he knew that much. Prompto was in no state to try and escape, so this collar was meant to ward off rescuers.

This was meant for Ignis.

Prompto made a strangled noise of warning and Ignis twisted, summoning a second dagger and hurling into the faceplate of an MT was that running towards them. The blue magic had barely vanished from the tips of his fingers before a harsh light flashed above them, accompanied by a piecing alarm. A small red light began to beep on the device.

" _Shit_." Ignis hissed and turned his full attention back. He needed a code and he needed it _now_.

Prompto grabbed at his hand and tried to push him away. "Ignis, you need to _go_. It's no use dying over this!"

"No!" He wracked his brain for anything, any scrap of a clue that he could get his fingers on and use to help. What would the empire have that they could use against them?

"Please!" Prompto clawed at his hands, tears on his face and a tremble in his voice. "Ignis, you have to get out of here!"

"I'm not _fucking_ leaving you again!" Ignis snapped back, more out of frustration than anger. Prompto's expression froze in shock, though the tears still tracked paths down his face. Ignis had never used language that harsh around him, keeping his cool in even the most dire of situations.

The pitch on the alarm and the device picked up. Ignis pressed his eyes closed and tuned out the alarm, grabbing and discarding fragments of information as quickly as he could. He picked up on something, a feeling that wrenched in his stomach with implications.

_The MTs drag off the good ones, the one they can find that is._

_Lestallum was a mess, they shouldn't have know Prompto was there except that-_

Ignis opened his eyes and typed in a code, the numbers coming easily to his lips as if it were yesterday he was pleading them into a broken radio.

11 18146 176 36709.

The device cut out with a harsh noise and released from Prompto's neck.

Ignis remembered how to breath and as he carefully pulled the metal away and tossed it aside. Prompto let out a shuddering breath and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, barely suppressing the painful sobs that rose in his chest.

Pulling him close, Ignis wove his fingers into Prompto's hair, ignoring the dirt and grease. "It's alright, I've got you now. I'm going to get you home. Can you stand?" With a shaky nod and Ignis' help the two of them were able to leave the cell. Every movement was stiff, no doubt from being trapped in a cold cell for so long. With each step he seemed to loose his hold on his surroundings, face pale and his eyes struggling to focus.

They were halfway through the room when the door came flying off it's hinges and Aranea stepped through, her lance ready in one hand. She laid eyes on them, mouth parted with a snide comment but the second she saw who Ignis was with her expression morphed to shock.

"Prompto?!" She stabbed her lance into the stones and rushed forward, grabbing his face in her hands and giving him a once over. "You're alive? What the hell happened to you?"

Eyes clouded from pain and exhaustion, Prompto only managed to mumble a greeting. There was a thick layer of confusion in his eyes, as if he barely registered where he was or who he was talking too.

She got one look at the wound on his side and her eyes turned dangerous, a burning green that almost made Ignis take a step back. "I'm going to fucking _kill_ him for laying a hand on you again." Her gaze zeroes back in on Ignis. "Alright Glasses, we're out of time. Grab my spear, I've got the kid."

Pushing Ignis aside she swept Prompto into her arms and started towards the door. Prompto barely reacted to being picked up, leaving Ignis to wrench Aranea's massive spear from the stones and follow her lead. As they climbed the stairs he began to hear the sounds of fighting, of blades against metal and fire being summoned. Aranea barely hesitated before she planted one foot in the center of the door and kicked it open. The Vesperpool was a mess of humid fog and gunfire, flashes of light snapping deep in the thick mists. Ignis kept close to Aranea's side, keeping one eye on Prompto as they waded into the swamp.

Aranea's ship loomed into view, the gate lowered and holding most of the Kingsglaive mages. Cor met them inside, eyes scanning between the three of them with varying degrees of relief, annoyance and surprise.

"Call in your soldiers." She snapped, stalking past him. "We need to get out of this swamp immediately." Swiveling on her heel, Aranea presses Prompto towards Ignis, who leaned the spear against the far wall to take his friend. Somewhere along the way, Prompto had lost consciousness, his face still twisted in pain. He didn't know what else to do while Cor began barking orders and Aranea disappeared up a ladder.

Pressing his back to the wall, Ignis sank to the ground and rearranged his hold on Prompto so it would be a bit more comfortable. The other glaives piled inside as the door slammed shut, most escorted and set down by the mages that began to dish out elixers and healing magic. The hold rattled as the ship took off, the tied crates groaning in place as they took a hard turn.

Aranea reappeared down the ladder and tossed an elixer in Ignis' direction. "This is for the kid, best I've got at the moment."

"It will do for now." Ignis pressed the bottle to Prompto's chest and crushed it, watching the blue magic seep into the gaunt frame of his friend. The bruises and cuts stitched together and closed, easing some of the physical damage the boy had sustained. After a moment his eyes flicked open again, focusing on Ignis' face with difficulty.

"Ow." He mumbled, flexing his fingers with a wince. Confusion washed over his face for a moment as his eyes flicked from Ignis to Aranea and then to his surroundings. "What's going on?"

Ignis raised an eyebrow. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?"

"Bad." With Ignis' help, Prompto managed to sit up. "Where are we?"

Aranea crouched beside them, resting her elbows on her knees. "My ship, which is currently holding a lot of Lucians." Her lips curled in a bit of a grimace before smoothing back out. "How in the world did you end up in that base, Kid? I thought you were dead."

Something dark flashed across Prompto's features and he looked away from both of them, pulling idly at the end of the bloodied bandages around the remnants of his right arm. Both Ignis and Aranea gave him the space to mull over his words, but before he got very far they were interrupted.

Libertus appeared on their periphery, covered in mud and oil but wearing a bright smile that was fixed on Prompto. "I don't believe it, I really thought Cor was pulling our leg when he said you were back!" Prompto just stared at him with wide eyes as he turned and gestured to someone else. "Nyx! Grab the kid a blanket will you?"

Nyx and Crowe joined them moments later, the former carrying a blanket made of thick black fleece that he draped around the blonds shoulders. "Welcome back." He kept one hand on Prompto's back, steadying and comforting. "It's good to see you."

"Thanks." Tugging the blanket closer around his shoulders, Prompto turned his face away from all the attention. Ignis kept a hand on his knee, fearing that the boy might vanish if he were to take his hand away. It was was an irrational fear, he knew that, but it would take more than a short conversation to convince him that Prompto was alive and mostly in one piece.

Someone cleared their throat behind the group and the people parted to give Cor space. His mouth was pressed into a tight, unforgiving line as he took them all in, his hands crossed behind his back.

"We have a medical facility just inside the walls of the citadel, if you could set us down near there, commodore." Aranea gave a short nod and he continued. "Everyone we brought back today is going to be held there under surveillance until we can verify that they're safe. That includes you, Mr. Argentum." Withering under Cor's glare, Prompto mumbled an affirmative and looked away. Ignis wanted to argue that locking Prompto in a medical facility was the last thing he needed, but the marshal had already turned away.

Once he was out of earshot, Aranea stood with a scoff. "That man has a stick up his ass." There were a few suppressed nods or laughs and Aranea gave a dramatic sigh. "I should go radio ahead and let them know we're on our way back."

"Probably for the best." Crowe commented, and Ignis detected a bit of wistfulness in her tone as she looked at Aranea. There was something meaningful in that gaze, a familiar longing that he had seen on Noctis' face quite a few times. One of her compatriots had mentioned Aranea having a Lucian partner...

Ignis snapped back to attention when he felt Aranea kick his leg. "Yes?"

"I asked if you would come with me," she rolled her eyes. "I have to call that muscle bound boyfriend of yours anyways and I'll bet he'd rather hear from you." Ignis cast a look at Prompto, who gave him a small nod, before standing.

Leveling a threatening glare at the three kingsglaive who were assembled, Aranea rested one foot on the bottom rung of the ladder. "Watch that kid will you? If he keels over and dies on the way back I just might have to kill you all." With her threat issued, Aranea began to climb.

With a tense sigh, Ignis followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignis gets the be the bearer of bad news.... again.


	10. The Bearer of Bad News

Ignis twisted the cord for the radio around one finger, allowing himself a moment to take a steadying breath before he spoke. "Hello?"

There was a beat of silence before Ignis heard Gladiolus' voice come though. "Astral's sake Ig, you scared the shit out of me."

"My apologies." He offered, adjusting his glasses with his free hand. "We are nearing the outskirts of the city and Cor has asked us to land near the wall."

"Alright." Gladiolus was clearly questioning why he was receiving this information but he knew better than to argue. "Do you need help with anything?"

"Well..." Taking a deep breath, Ignis glanced at Aranea. She just shrugged, arms crossed over her chest as Biggs and Wedge steered them through the clouds. "There is something you should know. Is Noctis with you?"

"Not at the moment." There was another pause. "Should I go get him?"

"Honestly I'm not sure." Ignis sighed. "I'm not even sure how to tell you this without sounding utterly insane."

"You're startin' to worry me here, Iggy." This was accompanied by a nervous laugh, and Ignis could almost imagine Gladiolus in that moment. He could see him standing near the window with the radio in one hand, brows furrowed over his amber eyes. It was a nice picture, if not for the fact that he was about to shatter it.

"We found Prompto." Ignis said, because there was no other way to dance around the reality. "He's alive." Then he closed his eyes and waited, counting the seconds until Gladiolus responded.

The words were low when they finally came, harsh even with radio static to dampen it. "That ain't fucking funny, Ignis."

"I can assure you that I am entirely serious." He wasn't sure how to get Gladiolus to believe him. Even as he stood there and thought about it, Ignis wondered if he was going crazy. He had to resist the urge to climb back down the ladder and make sure he wasn't hallucinating, to make sure that Prompto was still real and tangible.

"Did the swamp mess with your head or something? Prompto's gone, Ignis."

"And I would have agreed with that sentiment earlier if I hadn't _found_ him."

There was a bit of a scuffling sound from the door, prompting Ignis and Aranea to turn just in time to see Crowe helping Prompto up the ladder. The pain was clear on his face, but with the mages help Prompto managed to get to his feet once more. Crowe kept one hand on his back, steadying him.

"What are you doing?" Aranea asked, stepping forward. "I explicitly told you not to move."

"Gladiolus won't believe him." Prompto looked past her towards Ignis and held his hand out for the radio.

"Prompto, you don't need to prove anything." Ignis said, not relenting the device in his hands. He could hear Gladiolus still on the other side, the man just listening to whatever was going on.

Limping forward, Prompto settled for leaning against Ignis' side and speaking loudly. "Gladio, I know you write poetry in this little notebook you kept hidden under your bed and most of it is about Ignis."

There was a long pause before Gladiolus spoke up again. "Well shit, consider me convinced."

Ignis wasn't sure whether to be impressed by the ease with which Prompto had spoken or mortified by the admission that his partner wrote poetry about him and hadn't shared it. From the looks on the faces of Aranea and Crowe, the feeling was going around.

There was palpable relief on Prompto's expression, even as his strength faded and he sagged back against the wall.

Biggs cleared his throat. "We're coming up on the city now."

Ignis glanced down at the radio. "Did you get that?"

"Yeah, I've sent some medical personal your way." Gladiolus sounded distracted. "Quick question, how the fuck do I tell Noctis about this?"

Prompto winced, his expression torn between fear and dread. Noctis wouldn't need convincing like Cor and Gladiolus had, if anything he would likely latch onto Prompto and never let go. Ignis was no expert on the inner workings of the boys mind, but it seemed like he wasn't looking forward to that reunion. He didn't understand why there was so much anxiety at the thought of reuniting with a loved one, but he wasn't going to pry.

"Carefully." Ignis offered, resting a hand on Prompto's shoulder. "We'll see you when we land."

"Yeah." Gladiolus ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "See you soon." When he set the radio down and switched it off, Gladiolus felt light headed. A lot had just been thrown at him and he wasn't entirely sure he was processing it all.

Prompto was alive. That was the biggest hurdle that had been flung in his path. Somehow Gladiolus was going to need to tell Noctis this fact without the prince loosing his mind. He was half tempted to find Lunafreya and throw himself upon her mercy, hoping that she might be able to keep Noctis level headed.

Gladiolus left the barracks and started towards the Citadel itself, the tall towers usually a comforting sight. Recently they had seemed daunting, like a shadow they would never be able to get rid off. Maybe this is what Noctis had felt like when he was younger, a boy drowning in the shadows of his own home. Back then it had been filled with people, he hesitated to imagine just how the prince felt now that his home was getting emptier and emptier by the day.

Shaking his head, Gladiolus walked faster, seeing Aranea's ship break through the cloud cover. He had sent Noctis to get some food or rest after loading weapons into the armiger, but instead he finds the prince sitting at the top of the stairs with Umbra. His hands stroked the dogs dark fur slowly, his blue eyes watching the imperial ship descend through the towers of the crown city.

Gladiolus planted himself in Noctis' way, which earns him an annoyed frown as he blocked the view. "Ignis and the others are back, they say the mission was a success."

"That's a relief." Noctis said, picking his words carefully. "Why are you saying that like something bad happened?"

"Because they found more than they were expecting in that base." There was no use trying to dance around the issue. It was already going to undo the shaky foundations Noctis was on, it was better to rip off the band aid. "They found Prompto. Alive"

Noctis went deathly still, hand frozen on Umbra's back. He searched Gladiolus' face, waiting for the punchline or twist but all he found was a grim, unyielding frown.

"He was dead." Noctis said finally, finding the words between his teeth. "You told me..."

"I told you what I thought I knew." There's a sting of guilt in Gladiolus' words. "What I thought Ignis and I both knew. When Ignis told me I didn't believe it either but I heard him. The damned Astrals proved me wrong."

Standing on shaking legs, Noctis's gaze slid past Gladiolus to the recently landed ship. "He's here. With Ignis?"

"Yes." Resting a hand on the prince's shoulders, Gladiolus took a deep breath. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I need to see him." His words are small, but his hands clench to fists by his side. "Will you come with me?"

"Right behind you."

The two of them started down the stairs, and once he started moving it seemed like the urgency of the situation flooded back into him. Noctis took the stairs two at a time, Gladiolus keeping pace with him easily. Every step felt magnetic, as if someone had coiled a thread around his heart and was pulling him forward.

He was so focused on the building and what lay inside that Noctis would have run full tilt into Ignis if not for Gladiolus catching him by the arm. His advisor looks haggard, his clothes and arms stained with blood and muck.

Noctis grabbed Ignis' arm. "Where is he?"

"Inside." Ignis breathed, shaking Noctis off so he could take the prince by the shoulders. "The Marshall has barred the three of us entry."

"What?" Noctis made another move towards the door but Ignis held firm. "Why?!"

"Because Argentum poses a security risk." Cor's voice broke through Noctis' urgency and he whirled on the marshal. He had his arms crossed behind his back, his shoulders straightened as he stared Noctis down. "Until we can determine that they are all free of Imperial influence, the rescued Glaives will be held in this facility."

"That's ridiculous!" Noctis bristled, wrenching himself free of Ignis' grip and stalking forward. "It's _Prompto_ , you can't do that!"

Cor's voice stayed level and calm, unimpressed by Noctis' anger. "The safety of the people comes first, and I won't put the kingdom at risk for one man, no matter how special he is to you. Until I am certain that he isn't going to snap and kill you, he will be staying under guard."

"He wouldn't do that!" With a desperate noise, Noctis turned to his advisor and shield. "You both know he wouldn't!"

Gladiolus moved to speak but Ignis stepped forward and rested his hands on Noctis' shoulders again. "Prompto needs to rest before we decide anything. I will appraise you of everything we've learned in the meantime, and when Prompto has rested we can discuss the Marshals terms."

Noctis wanted to argue, but Ignis gave him a pointed look and the prince let his anger roll from his shoulders. "Fine." Without turning to look at Cor, Noctis forced himself to walk back towards the citadel. Something tight lodged itself in his throat, tears burning behind his eyes. He clenched his teeth together so hard his jaw ached, refusing to let Cor see anything except determination.

Ignis watched him leave, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Cor had returned inside, leaving him and Gladiolus alone in the darkening night. Gladiolus wrapped his arms around Ignis' shoulders, pulling his partner into a gentle embrace.

Leaning into the touch with a long sigh, Ignis closed his eyes. "This is not going to be easy."

"Definitely not." Gladiolus agreed. "I'll give Noct credit for one thing, I was really expecting him to just break in."

That managed to coax a laugh from Ignis, who pushed a hand up beneath his glasses to rub his eyes. "Prompto is a mess, Gladio. I hesitate to imagine the extent of what he went through."

"That bad?"

"He's missing an _arm_."

Gladiolus hissed in a breath of air, his grip tightening around Ignis' back. "Shit."

"Indeed." Ignis pulled away from Gladiolus' embrace with reluctance, wishing he could stay in the safety of his partners arms forever. "We are going to need Lunafreya's magics to aid his recover I imagine."

"One issue at a time." Gladiolus took his hand, weaving their fingers together. "Let's catch up with Noctis."

They found the prince pacing the length of his room like an angry Coeurl. Fragments of blue magic flaked off of him, his form shifting in and out of visibility as he struggled to keep his powers beneath his skin. There were tears spilling over his lashes, his mouth twisted into a miserable line.

Gladiolus interrupted his path, pulling Noctis into a tight hug. Noctis dug his fingers into the fabric of Gladiolus' shirt, his body shaking with strangled sobs. It killed him to see Noctis like this, falling apart with grief and anger like he had so many times as a child. And like he had so many times before, Gladiolus would hold him until he could stand on his own.

"I feel useless." Noctis confessed to the dark fabric of his shield's shirt. "How am I supposed to just sit here and play along when all I want to do is see him again?"

Leading Noctis towards the couch were Ignis was seated, Gladiolus tried to find the answer that would ease his pain. "The best thing you can do for Prompto is to give him some space to get his bearings. Cor will realize soon that trying to lock us out is more trouble than its worth."

Ignis cleared his throat gently, resting a hand on Noctis' knee. "I have an idea that may help, if you're willing to ask for outside assistance."

"Yes." Noctis agreed immediately, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Anything."

"Then I suppose we need to throw ourselves once more at the mercy of Aranea Highwind."


	11. The Calling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is allusion to eating disorders in this chapter, nothing explicit or anything but please use caution if needed ! <3

_Everything hurt._

Pain was about the only constant that Prompto had in his life at this point. It pulsed through his body with every stuttering beat of his heart, a biting web that he couldn't ignore. It hadn't changed in weeks, no matter where his body found itself. It ached in his cell, in the Empires lab and it even ached in the bright, sterile Kingsglaive facility.

He had thought that being rescued would ease some of that pain, but it had merely presented new ways for the world to get under his skin. The harsh lights hurt his eyes and the various tubes and instruments he was hooked up to brought their own pinching pains. Between the beeping and the lights, he felt like he was loosing his mind all over again.

At the very least, he was clean. Prompto was willing to take that as a silver lining.

He had spent most of the previous day and a half asleep, but now his mind refused to retreat back into the safety of being unconscious. The only choice he had was to stare at the tiled ceiling, his arms and legs heavy from the pain medication that was coursing through him. Prompto let out a slight sigh, picking at the clean t-shirt that he had been given. It was hard to stomach the glimpses of himself that he caught in the reflection of the tinted windows across from him. He was a mess, still covered in bruises and withered like a skeleton.

Really he did feel _better_ , just not as much as he had been hoping.

It had been a silly thing to dream, that coming back to the crown city would magically cure him of his wounds. Like it might give him back his arm or ease the constant pain in his stomach.

Yet since he had been back, Prompto found himself just as alone as he had been in his cell. Not long after landing his strength had left him and Libertus had carried him inside, but that was the last thing he remembered. He had barely seen any of the doctors, let alone his friends. He could understand them not wanting to see him, given that they had thought he was dead and all, but it still stung.

He had always known that one day they would realize it was easier not to have him around, but that didn't mean it sat right with him.

He was pulled from his miserable spiral when the door opened and an unfamiliar woman in a glaive uniform stepped inside. The woman had dark hair and skin, reminding Prompto a bit of Gladiolus for a moment. She had a tablet in one hand that she was reading, absently adjusting her glasses.

Suddenly aware of the room she was in, the woman looked up at the lights and shook her head. "Ugh. I hate these things." She reached over and twisted a dial on the wall, lowering the lights to a comfortable level. With a gentle smile in Prompto's direction she tucked the tablet into the crook of her arm. "Hopefully those lights are a bit better for you."

Prompto cleared his throat and managed to rasp a response. "Yeah."

"Excellent." She crossed the room to his bedside. "My name is Sofia. Mr. Scientia put me in charge of your care."

"Ignis?" Prompto frowned. "I haven't seen him since I got here."

"Ah, well." Sofia brushed a piece of hair from her face. "The Marshal's not letting anyone in to the facility at the moment. Though Prince Noctis had quite a few choice words about that decision."

"Oh." He shifted as much as the menagerie of cords would allow him too. "That's... interesting."

She gave him a sympathetic smile and dropped the subject, instead turning to take a look at the monitors. "How are you feeling?"

"Bad?" Prompto made a face, pulling at the fabric of his shirt again. "But not as bad as before."

"I wish we could give you something stronger for your pain but we don't really have anything." Sofia adjusted a few dials on the main console by his head and Prompto experienced the unnerving sensation of fluids moving beneath his skin. He shuddered, clenching his teeth against the feeling.

"Sorry." She murmured, still mostly focused on whatever readings the screen was giving her. Prompto wasn't able to turn his head enough to see the screen itself, but she seemed to find the results acceptable. "Have you eaten anything?"

He shook his head, the thought of food making his already upset stomach twist. He had never loved eating before everything went to shit, but now he was even more against it. "I'm not really that hungry."

"I'll bring you some soup or something." She turned away, setting her tablet down on the side table. "Having something in your stomach will help with the medicine." Turning on her heel she left the room and quickly as she had arrived. Prompto sighed again, feeling the weight in his chest settle painfully as he sank into the thin mattress. He wasn't looking forward to forcing food down his throat, especially under the keen eye of a doctor.

What surprised him the most was that the next person to enter the room was neither a doctor, nor a Lucian.

Aranea propped the door open with one heeled boot, balancing a bowl of soup in one hand and a book in the other. It was strange to see her in something other than her armor, the spikes and leather replaced by a white tanktop and a kingsglaive sweatshirt.

"Hey, Blondie." She stepped inside and let the door fall shut behind her. "That doctor lady told me to bring this in to you since I was headed this way."

"They let you in?" Prompto raised an eyebrow, watching her carefully set everything down on the side table. "That's a surprise."

"Yeah well, Cor wasn't looking and none of the guards wanted to try and stop me." Aranea turned with her hands on her hips and sized him up. "You look terrible."

"Thanks." He pressed his lips together, brows raising. "I feel terrible."

Her face relaxed into something a bit more amicable and she stepped forward. "I'll bet you do. Think you can sit up?" He made a noncommittal noise at the back of his throat. Aranea rolled her eyes and carefully wedged one of her arms behind his back. Avoiding the tubes and IVs, she managed to help shift Prompto into a sitting position.

His head swam from the sudden shift in orientation and he squeezed his eyes shut until the pulsing in his head eased. Aranea had seen him at some low points, but that didn't mean he was willing to throw up in front of her.

When Prompto managed to open his eyes without feeling like he was going to pass out, Aranea was watching him with some trepidation. "I'm good."

"Uh huh." She didn't look convinced but didn't push further. Instead she turned and grabbed the bowl of soup she had set down and passed it to him. His hands shook from the weight of the bowl, but he managed to balance it on one leg before he dropped it. Aranea sat on the edge of his bed and pulled a spoon out of her pocket, holding it out for him.

It took a few seconds of testing if the bowl was actually secure before Prompto reached out to accept it. Navigating these things with only one arm was challenging, who knew?

"Need me to feed you?" Aranea asked, crossing her arms.

"No." He frowned. She gave a bit of a laugh, crossing one leg over the other. Prompto noticed a name stitched in silver threads on the arm of her sweatshirt 'Altius'. It wasn't surprising, if Prompto was honest. Aranea had never been a loyal imperial, it wasn't out of the ordinary that she would fall for a Lucian.

And, well, _he_ certainly couldn't judge.

"Crowe, huh?" Prompto spooned some soup into his mouth and forced himself to swallow it.

"Yes, and that's all you're going to hear about it." Aranea blustered, shoving one hand into the pocket of her shirt and pulling out her phone. "And, I want it on the record that I was planning on coming to visit you anyways, but your royal boyfriend and company had a request."

The food practically sours in his mouth and Prompto lets the spoon fall back into his bowl. "Oh." Anxiety churned in his stomach at the thought. What could they want with him?

"Your little prince was driving himself mad over not being able to come see you, so they asked if I would sneak this if so you can call them." She holds the device between them. "I said I would ask you first."

Prompto's mouth twisted into a frown, his hand rising to run through his bangs. It was just a call, nothing bad could happen with the distance between them. Over the phone there was no way that Noctis could see how terrible he looked and reject him.

Right?

"You don't have to call, shortcake." Aranea said, the nickname rough so she didn't sound too soft. "I can tell them no."

"It's okay." He chewed on his lower lip. "I'm ready." Though she looked doubtful, Aranea scrolled until she found a contact that was just labeled 'the one with the glasses' and hit call. Prompto tried to eat some more as she set the phone between them and put it on speaker. It rang once, twice, three times before the line connected.

"Hello?" Ignis sounded a bit perturbed, but Prompto had a feeling it had more to do with the scuffling sound he could hear in the background.

"Hey, Iggy." Prompto forced levity into his words in the hopes that it might give him some more confidence. "Everything good over there?"

"Ah..." There was a long exhale of breath before Ignis responded. "Gladiolus currently has Noctis in a headlock for a reason I am not privy too at that moment."

Noctis' voice joined from a distance, so familiar and warm that Prompto felt something seize in his chest. "Wait, who are you talking too?"

"One moment," Ignis sighed. "Allow me to put you on speaker phone."

"Cool." Prompto exchanged a confused look with Aranea, who merely shrugged and turned her attention back to the scene at hand. There was some muffled arguing and a lot of sighing from Ignis before finally it seemed like the three of them had found an amicable way to crowd around the phone.

Aranea raised an eyebrow. "I'm amazed the four of you ever manage to get things done, you can't even take a phone call without arguing."

"If we didn't have Ignis we would be hopelessly lost." Prompto stuck another spoonful of soup in his mouth, the metal spoon clicking between his teeth.

"Hey," Gladiolus sounded equal parts offended and amused. "I'll have you know that I did just fine before Iggy came around."

"That's a lie, Ignis was literally hired to help me function." Noctis countered, although his voice now seemed small and unsure. Prompto could imagine the furrow between his brows, hidden by the messy bangs that never seemed to do what they were told. He'd never liked it when Noctis made that face, knowing that the world was always weighing too heavily on him at those times.

"Anyways." Ignis, ever the savior of the awkward situations, cleared his throat. "How are you feeling, Prompto?"

"Uhm," Prompto pulled the spoon from his mouth. He was getting really tired of people asking him that question. He had been experimented on and stuck in a cell for a month, how did they _think_ he felt? "Not great."

"I can imagine." Gladiolus said it so casually that for a moment Prompto felt like they were talking about the weather.

There was a deep breath and Noctis chimed in. "I wish we could come see you, but apparently I'm not allowed to fight Cor."

Prompto smiled weakly. "That's probably for the best, I know you're strong but Cor could kick your ass."

"My next plan is to camp outside the doors and see how long it takes for one of the guards to take pity on me." He grumbled. "I can't believe Aranea made it in and I didn't."

"Hah." She rolled her eyes, wishing she could be anywhere but there. Prompto knew that in her own gruff way Aranea saw him like a little brother, but that didn't mean she wanted to listen to him talk to his boyfriend. "Get fucked."

"Nea." Prompto glared at her. "Be nice."

"I am nice, I gave them the information that saved your ass." Aranea pressed a hand to her chest in her best impression of Ignis. "For that I believe they are _ever_ to grateful." Silence stretched out between them, so tense that Prompto was afraid it might snap. He had a feeling he knew what they wanted from him, but he wasn't sure how to put it delicately.

Then again, he wasn't the delicate type.

Prompto forced a smile and a bit of a laugh, watching Aranea stiffen just a bit at the sound. "If you want to know why I'm not dead, you can just ask."

"You don't need to talk about it if you don't want too." Noctis said quietly, defensiveness slipping between the words. "I'm honestly just glad to have you back."

Ignis spoke up as well, his words soothing. "There's no need to speak of such things now. We will have plenty of time to catch up, this call was just to check in and hear your voice."

"And as adorable as it is to listen to you all yammer on, Blondie still needs to eat." Aranea pointedly glared at the broth balancing on his leg. Prompto gave her an apologetic smile, dipping the spoon back in.

"We can call again some time." Gladiolus agreed. "Eat your food, Prompto. I'd better not hear that you're skipping meals or anything."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Prompto drawled, making a face that only Aranea could see. "I'll... talk to you guys later?"

"Definitely." Noctis agreed quickly. "We'll keep wearing Cor down about letting us in, you just focus on feeling better, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks guys."

"See you."

—

The line went dead and Ignis tucked the phone back into his pocket. Noctis leaned back against the cushions, rubbing his face with his hands. The tense line was gone from his face and shoulders, replaced by a heavy sadness. It had been so clear that Prompto was trying to put on a brave face for them over the call, it only made the sting of not being able to see him worse.

Ignis needed an escape. His hands, normally steadfast in the deadliest situations, had begun to shake noticeably.

With a practiced glance at his watch, Ignis stood from the couch. "If you'll excuse me, I just remembered I have a report I need to finish for Lady Lunafreya." Before Noctis or Gladiolus could try and stop him or convince him to stay, Ignis had turned on his heel and walked off. As the door shut behind him, Ignis forced his lungs to accept a deep breath and beelined for his and Gladiolus' room.

The quiet and familiar room was comforting, and Ignis sat on the end of the bed and rubbed his eyes.

He couldn't stop replaying the moment where he had guessed the code to Prompto's strange collar. The Astral's must have thought it a hilarious prank to play on him, making the code the coordinates of their position the day Lestallum fell.

It made Ignis feel sick, knowing that he was the reason Prompto had been kidnapped and tortured. He might as well have put a bow on the man and delivered him to Ardyn Izunia directly. Only time would tell if it was a fate worse than death, but Ignis couldn't sit with himself knowing he had allowed any amount of harm to come to his friend.

There was nothing he could do to change the hands of fate, but still the guilt ate at the fibers of his soul.

There was a short knock on the door before Gladiolus slipped inside. "Ignis?"

Ignis straightened, smoothing his shirt in an attempt to seem more presentable. "Yes?"

Gladiolus cast his gaze across the room as he walked closer, settling in beside his partner. "What to tell me what's really going on?"

"Nothing in particular." He lied. "Just tired is all."

"Yeah, that's a load of shit." The words would have been harsh if Ignis had picked over each one, but there's a level of gruff care to them that Gladiolus says well. He rested a hand on Ignis' knee, both comforting him and trapping him there. "You've been acting strange ever since you got back from the mission, beyond just getting used to Prompto being alive."

Ignis sighed through his teeth, gaze dropping to his hands which were clasped in his lap. "I feel responsible for him being down in that cell in the first place."

"You can't possibly blame yourself for that."

"You weren't there." Ignis argued. He wanted to shake his partners hand off and stand, but he forced himself to still. "Prompto wasn't just being held in a cell, he had this... device around his neck that nearly killed him. The code that freed him was the same as the coordinates from our position in Lestallum, we thought the radio was broken but in reality the Empire was hearing every word. _They_ found him because of me!"

"Which also made you the only person in the world who could have saved him." Gladiolus took Ignis' face in his hands, forcing the other man to meet his gaze. "Listen to me, Ignis. You can't blame yourself for this, none of it was in your control."

"Maybe not, but-"

"Don't start that." Gladiolus sighed, his harsh stance softening as he ran his thumb along the curve of Ignis' cheek. "Listen. You and I both know that with the condition Prompto was in back then, he wouldn't have survived if we had dragged him out with us. You got him out of there and brought him back to us, that's what counts. You know he would feel the same."

"I could have stabbed him and he would have told me it was fine, you know that." Ignis rubbed his eyes again. "But yes, I can see the merit in what you're saying."

Leaning down to kiss the corner of Ignis' mouth, Gladiolus gave him a smile. "There's merit to everything I say, and you know it. Now, what do you say to getting dinner? Prompto's going to need us at our best."

That, at the very least, Ignis could agree with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to thank those who have read and commented, I've been struggling with my confidence around this story a lot and every little show of support helps. I know this story is kinda messy and there's a lot going on, so I really appreciate everyone's kind words <3


	12. The Oracle

Confidence was the first step to any plan.

This wouldn't be Lunafreya's first time attempting to enter a building she was barred from, but very few people were willing to tell the Oracle that she wasn't allowed to enter. Especially not after she had returned from awakening the Fulgurian and accepting its blessing.

She kept her head high as she walked towards the guarded door, wrapping her sweater tighter against her sides. It had been two weeks since the Glaives had been rescued from the keep in the Veperspool, and Lunafreya was surprised that she didn't see Noctis camped outside the door. Cor was still holding tight to his word that the prince wasn't allowed in, and it was starting to wear on them both.

She had decided, in an attempt to keep the peace between them all, to investigate the matter herself.

"Hello." Lunafreya smiled at the guards, plastering on the mask of the perfect, pure Oracle. "May I enter?"

The guards exchanged a look before responding. "Uh... Sure." The one on the left turned and pulled open the heavy security door for her, eyes tracking her as she passed through with a dip of her head. Luna could hear them whispering as she passed, but their words were too quiet for her to pick up.

The inside of the facility was cast in bright light, rows of cots and curtains stretching along the main room. Doctors and volunteers bustled between each small section, ducking behind curtains and exchanging notes. Lunafreya stood near the door, watching the people move around as she searched for someone who might know where Prompto was.

"Lady Lunafreya?" A woman with dark hair and glasses approached her, speaking low as though she was trying not to call attention to the Oracle in the room. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually." Lunafreya tucked her hands in the pockets of her sweater. "I'm looking for Prompto Argentum."

The woman raised an eyebrow and adjusted her glasses. "Kid has friends in high places, first an imperial commodore and now the oracle herself. I'm his doctor actually, you can call me Sofia." She turned and gestured for Lunafreya to follow, the two woman weaving around machinery and doctors so rushed they barely realized who was walking among them. They approached a room down a short hallway, a series on monitors set up outside that showed a complicated table of readings.

"Not sure how much you'll be able to help him." Sofia frowned, eyes sliding over the readings. "Mr. Argentum is in bad shape."

Lunafreya wasn't a professional nurse by any stretch, but any information would help her. "How so?"

Sofia sighed. "Grizzly stuff. I'm not sure what exactly went on in that facility, but he's covered in surgical scars that have been reopened several times. With how badly his immune system is, my best guess is he's had several organs replaced once or twice over. There were traces of scourge around the remnants of his arm which is likely why it was removed."

Frowning, Lunafreya looked up at the screens. There was no reason for anyone to go through so much pain and it made her stomach twist. Noctis would loose his mind when he learned of this, she knew that much.

"Hopefully I can do something for his pain." Lunafreya forced a gentle smile.

"I hope so too." Sofia pulled a keycard from the pocket of her coat and tapped it against the panel nearest the door, the locks disengaging with a loud _click_. "There's a call button in there if you need anything."

"Thank you, doctor." Pulling open the heavy door, Lunafreya was hit by a burst of cold air. She shivered a bit as she stepped inside, letting it close behind her. Prompto was propped into a lounging position when she entered, flipping slowly through a heavy book. Noctis had lamented to her about Prompto looking like death, according to Aranea, but he didn't seem as bad as she was expecting. Still battered and thin, but his bruises were dulled to a light yellow and his blue eyes were clear.

He looked up when she got closer and startled, clearly expecting to see someone else. "Lady Lunafreya!" He closed the book quickly and almost moved to rise when she held up a hand.

"Please, Prompto it's quite alright. There's no need for formalities, you can just call me Lunafreya." She gave him a smile, hoping to ease the tense line his shoulders formed. "We're not strangers, after all."

Thankfully, Prompto relaxed back into the pillows. "I guess that's true." He looked around, waving his hand a bit helplessly. "Can I... help you with anything?"

Perching on the edge of his bed, she rested a hand on his knee. "I'm here to see you and check in is all. You don't get many visitors I imagine."

"Not really." He plucked at the collar of his shirt, a nervous tick that revealed the small scars that circled his neck. "Aranea only came back once, but I hear she's busy killing MTs."

"Her prowess for battle was a great help in my quest to commune with the Fulgarian." Lunafreya crossed one leg over the other, settling in so Prompto didn't feel like she was going to leave anytime soon. Now that he was talking about it, there was a faraway look in his eyes that filled her with sympathy. Noctis had always told her that Prompto was a social and outgoing person, to see him filled with such loneliness ached in her chest.

"You left the city?" His eyes widened, focusing back on her. "I'm amazed Cor let you."

"He didn't have much of a say in the matter." She gave Prompto a wink. "I'm also technically not allowed in here but no one wants to stop the Oracle."

"Wow," He returned her smile with a faint grin of his own. "Lucius is turning the Oracle into a rebel."

"If my brother could see me know, I believe he would have a heart attack."

Something dark flashed across Prompto's features. "I saw Ravus."

"You did?" Lunafreya struggled in reign in her shock, smoothing her words. "Here, in Lucius?"

Prompto nodded. "I only saw him once and in passing, him and that Ardyn person."

"I had hoped he would have remained in Niflheim." Lunafreya bit her lip, brows furrowed.

"I'm sorry."

She shook herself, patting his knee again. "It is hardly your fault."

Prompto shook his head. "I don't have siblings, so I can't really understand, but family shouldn't have to fight family. I know I wouldn't want to fight Ignis or Gladio."

It was a kind sentiment, but Lunafreya had always known that she would one day be at odds with Ravus. She loved her brother but it was no secret that the ambition lying in his heart called him to a dark path.

He had made his choice, and she had made hers.

"I apologize, I did not mean to bring the mood down." She pressed a hand to her chest. "After all, I can hardly complain about my life to someone who has suffered far more."

Prompto waved her off, wincing when he moved a bit too fast for his still healing scars. "Eh, it happens." He rubbed at the edge of the bandages around the stump of his shoulder. She could see the skin pulled tight beneath the strips of fabric where it had been forced to knit back together.

Lunafreya reached out carefully and rested one hand over his, closing her eyes. The magic answered her call, spreading from her heart to the tips of her fingers in a cooling wave. She felt Prompto jump a bit at the feeling. Healing magic was different in Lucius, where potions and elixirs were easier to come by and use. Lunafreya's powers had always lay in her ability to ease the pain of others, to take their hands and wish away all the pain that lay nestled in their hearts. Her hope and kindness, often seen as a weakness by those around her, were the strengths that made her who she was.

She hoped above anything to take Prompto's pain away, if only for a little while.

When she pulled her hand away and opened her eyes, he was staring at her in surprise. Carefully he raised his hand and flexed his fingers, finding that it didn't ache quite as much as it had. The bruises that dotted his body had faded and while the remains of his arm still ached, it wasn't nearly as bad as before.

"Wow." He found himself blinking back a sudden rush of tears at the lack of pain. "Thank you."

"Of course." Lunafreya rested her hands in her lap. "I should have come to ease your pain sooner."

"You were busy." Prompto rubbed the back of his neck. "I think getting the power of a god outweighs healing me."

"I would like to see you reunited with your friends as soon as possible." She replied, not letting him carry that thought further. "They're beside themselves with worry."

He winced, pulling on the blond strands. "Honestly? I'm terrified at the thought of seeing them all again..." His eyes flooded with guilt at the admission, his shoulders hunching in. "Is that bad?"

"No, I think that is an understandable feeling." Lunafreya rolled the words around in her mouth before settling on a response. "Things have changed, some for the better and some for the worse. You're in the complicated position of being caught between those two points, I can't image you _wouldn't_ be concerned about coming back."

"It's just... Things can never be the same." He took a shaking breath, voice so thin that Lunafreya feared it might shatter. "They thought I was dead, and I was! Several times! I thought it was going to be stuck in that horrible loop for the rest of my life and it was terrifying, but I had almost come to terms with that being my existence. Then suddenly Ignis is there and he's working with Aranea and all of my worlds have collided and I'm still just lost." Prompto took a deep breath, a shuddering laugh escaping him. "And now I'm venting about my problems to the Oracle."

She took his hand, running her thumb across the back of his knuckles. "Right now I am not the Oracle, or even Lunafreya." She gave him a kind and searching look. "I am a friend, and friends help one another."

He sniffed and pulled his hand back from hers to wipe his eyes. "Thank you. I appreciate you being here."

"Of course." She tried to smile despite how her heart broke for him. "When you have recovered enough to leave this place, I do hope we can spend more time together. I've heard a lot about your photography skills, if you'd be willing to show me some of your pictures."

"I'd like that." He said. Prompto sat back again, some of the crushing weight gone from his shoulders. "I still feel bad unloading all of that on you, but it feels... better."

Tucking some hair behind her ear, Lunafreya copied the move he had done earlier and waved a hand. "As you said, it happens."

"Yeah that's-" His voice suddenly caught in his throat and his eyes fixed on something over her shoulder.

She twisted in time to see a man standing near the back wall, a wicked smile on his face. His coat was long and trailing, decorated in fine patterns and rich fabrics. There was a hat perched on his messy hair, which he removed with a slow gesture as he stepped closer.

"Hello, esteemed friends." The smile didn't move an inch as the man spoke, words sweet and dripping with venom. "I do hope I'm not interrupting."

With one fluid movement he pulled a pistol from the folds of his coat, and fired.


End file.
